VIDEO: Bria Goss makes free throws look easy

March 7, 2014
By Kevin Erpenbeck
The simplest shot to make in basketball is the free throw. It is a 15-foot uncontested shot directly in-line with the hoop — an easy point.
When junior guard Bria Goss is at the line, she makes it look even easier.
Goss has made 81.5 percent of her free throws in three years at UK and continues to increase that percentage with each passing season. This year, she stands at an impressive 90 percent from the line.
She’s made 274 free throws in her career at UK, but who’s counting? That’s nothing when you ask her how many she shoots before she leaves the gym every day.
“On average, I probably shoot 115 (per day),” Goss said. “I come in early to get some shots up, then I do about 50 before practice starts. We shoot some during practice, and then I shoot some more after practice.”
Shooting free throws in practice may not have the same feeling as shooting them in a game. But to Goss, her mentality never changes when she’s at the line.
“I’ve made a million of these before. Just make another one,” Goss says to herself before every attempt.
That mindset allowed Goss to etch her name in UK history this year. She tied a school record with 27 consecutively made free throws on Feb. 13.
Don’t remind Goss of her chance to break that record on that day though.
“I still get teased about it sometimes. I was a little sad the moment I found out what that miss meant,” Goss said.
It’s all about the level of comfort for Goss before she makes an attempt. A common strategy she uses to bring a level of ease to the line is the “spin-the-ball” technique.
She wasn’t always allowed to do that, however. In high school, her coaches tried to put a stop to it, saying it would throw off her shots.
Everything changed once she came to UK. She was set free.
“I didn’t want to hear from them anymore,” Goss said. “When I got here, I decided I was more comfortable doing that. Plus, no one was actually telling me not to do it here, so it came back almost naturally.”
Another element that soothes Goss during a game is the noise level. Most may find it easier to relax in the silence of dead air, but Goss revels in the extreme.
“I really don’t like it when it’s quiet. I have to focus more when I’m at home,” Goss said.
She later added there is another level of satisfaction she takes away from a brief quiet period. “It shuts them up when I make one on the road. That feels pretty good.”
That level of comfort brings confidence to Goss whenever she is brought into the game. She practically begs the opposing team to foul her every time she has the ball, knowing full well she’ll give her team two free points when they do, she said.
Goss and the Cats will be looking to harness that confidence in Duluth, Ga., this week when they compete in the SEC Tournament. While Goss’ goal is to hit every free throw attempt she is given, the team’s realistic goal is to cut down the polymer fabric Goss targets each time she steps to the line in winning fashion.