Press Release

Oct. 6, 2008

Women Shoot 83% in "Shaq's 24-Hour Nightmare"

MARYVILLE, Mo. - The Northwest women's basketball team made 6,023 of 7,238 free throws, good for 83.2%, in the annual "Shaq's 24-Hour Nightmare" fundraiser Oct. 3-4. The women easily beat the average of 11-time NBA all-star Shaquille O'Neal, who has shot 52.4% from the charity stripe in his 16-year career.

Freshman Shelly Martin led the Bearcats by making 94.8%. She made her 112th straight free throw at 2:15 a.m. Saturday morning, after hitting streaks of 40 and 81 Friday afternoon. Nine of the 15 players shot above 80% while no player shot below 74.5%.

The Bearcats open the 2008-09 season with an exhbition game at Division I Illinois State Nov. 8. The regular season begins Nov. 15 at Division II runner-up South Dakota