Free-throw streak earns national hype

Deb Remmerde had a reputation for hitting free throws in any situation, but this was ridiculous.

Remmerde, a sophomore guard for Northwestern College, stood at the line Monday morning, as she had done thousands of times in her life. But she never performed her standard routine – clear the mind, dribble twice and shoot – at 6 a.m. in front of 600 fans and a CBS camera crew while wearing an earpiece that constantly squawked.

Flanked by such a surreal setting, Remmerde did the unthinkable.

She missed.

That’s when Remmerde, whose streak of 133 straight free throws earlier this season set a record unmatched in the history of organized basketball, put on what her teammates jokingly call her “mad face.”

“It’s stepping to the line with confidence, and having no doubt in your mind that you’re not going to miss,” Remmerde said. “I block everything else out. It’s you, the ball and the rim, and that’s where the ball’s gotta go.”

It did after that first one. She made 75 straight before missing again, then made 65 more in a row. She missed again, then made 167 straight.

If that wasn’t enough, Remmerde capped her moment in the national spotlight with 256 consecutive free throws, sending the crowd into a frenzy.

“I was a little nervous at first, but once I got rolling, it was good,” Remmerde said of her televised feat.

If there was ever a player who could get people out of bed before sunrise to watch free throws, it’s Remmerde. Her recent run of 133 drew national attention to Northwestern, an NAIA school of 1,300 students 20 miles east of the South Dakota border.

But in Iowa, Remmerde has been in the spotlight since high school. She holds the state’s career record for points, free-throw percentage and 3-point percentage and was named Iowa’s Miss Basketball as a senior at Rock Valley High in 2003.

(1) Duke 99, Miami 93 (2 OT): At Coral Gables, Fla., Monique Currie scored 15 of her 43 points in the second overtime to help the Blue Devils avoid an upset with a win over the Hurricanes.

(2) LSU 64, Arkansas 42: At Baton Rouge, La., Seimone Augustus scored 26 points to help the Lady Tigers cruise.

(4) Maryland 65, N.C. State 57: At Raleigh, N.C., Laura Harper scored 20 points to lead the Terrapins.

(5) Tennessee 82, Alabama 65: At Tuscaloosa, Ala., Shanna Zolman equaled her career-high with 28 points, including seven 3-pointers, to lift the Lady Vols.

(7) Rutgers 60, Syracuse 43: At Piscataway, N.J., Michelle Campbell and Cappie Pondexter each scored 13 points to help the Scarlet Knights win their ninth straight.

(8) Connecticut 79, Notre Dame 64: At South Bend, Ind., Ann Strother scored 11 of her 19 points during a decisive run midway through the second half to lead the Huskies.

Indiana 63, (10) Purdue 61 (OT): At West Lafayette, Ind., Cyndi Valentin hit a tying 3-pointer with 5 seconds left in regulation and a pair of free throws with 3 seconds to go in overtime, giving the Hoosiers the upset.

(12) Baylor 73, Texas Tech 60: At Waco, Texas, Sophia Young scored 22 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to lead the Lady Bears.

(13) Georgia 83, (22) Vanderbilt 61: At Nashville, Tenn., Sherill Baker scored a game-high 22 points to lead the Lady Bulldogs.

Wisconsin 67, (17) Minnesota 61: At Madison, Wis., Janese Banks scored 18 points to lead four players in double figures for the Badgers.

(23) Temple 70, Dayton 36: At Dayton, Ohio, Candice Dupree scored 24 points to help the Owls.