When Marian Catholic senior forward LaParis Poe was starting her basketball career in sixth grade, free throws were an adventure.
It wasn’t just if the ball would go through the net or not. That was the least of her concerns.
The problem was being able to stay on her feet as the free-throw line became a danger zone.
“I used to be one of those kids who would fall over the line,” Poe said. “Finally, in eighth grade, the coaches took me to the side and worked on it with me.”
Poe doesn’t fall anymore, but her free throws are falling with regularity.
A perfect Poe went 7-for-7 from the line Wednesday night for the Spartans in a strange 49-41 East Suburban Catholic Conference victory over Marist in Chicago Heights.
Poe finished with nine points, eight rebounds and two steals for Marian (7-1, 3-0). Alainna Poisson led the Spartans in scoring with 10 points. Gracie Jensen had nine rebounds and Kaili Merrick added seven.
Olivia Cosme scored 11 points for Marist (6-2, 1-1), which made nine 3-pointers. Caroline Flynn chalked up eight rebounds and Grace Harmon had six.
The first half was odd for Marian as the Spartans could muster only three field goals, yet they went 13-for-15 from the line to take a 19-15 halftime lead.
The Spartans had a 9-0 run in the first quarter, all on free throws. Poe went 5-for-5 in that stretch.
Needless to say, she’s miles ahead of her skills from sixth grade.
“For the most part, I’m really good at shooting my free throws,” Poe said. “I have my bad days, but this was a good night for me.”
Poe pointed out she’s developed a routine of one dribble, twist the ball, use another dribble and then shoot.
“It’s using your legs and staying in a rhythm with the shot that you always do,” Poe said. “Now I’m pretty far off the line. If you ever notice, I give it a little bit of space. I guess it’s a habit.”
The Spartans finished at 74.4% from the line (29 of 39) on a night where they were getting good looks but the shots weren’t falling.
“Obviously, free-throw shooting is a critical component of the game,” Marian coach Dan Murray said. “A lot of times free throws are magnified at the end of the game. But if you don’t hit them early, you put yourself in that position.
“We do a lot of free-throw shooting in practice, and it’s always good to see them step up and hit them. It kept us moving forward.”
And the 5-foot-9 Poe has the Spartans moving in the right direction.
“She’s our interior presence,” Murray said. “She plays with so much energy. She is so vitally important on both sides of the floor on the glass and does a great job defensively.”
Poisson said that, even though Poe is small for an inside player, she gets the job done.
“She’s the person who gets all the rebounds in the crucial moments of the game,” Poisson said. “I like her moves of getting in the paint, and she’s also one of those players who gets on us and tells us what we need to do even if we don’t want to hear it.”
Poe, however, is unclear about her future basketball plans.
“I’ve had people contact me, but I’m not sure if I am going to play at the next level or not,” Poe said. “I know I want to continue to go to school, of course, but I don’t know if I want to play.
“I know I would be really sad if I stopped playing because it’s been my life. I don’t know. We’ll see.”
Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
