SWISH: OTAHK SHARP-SHOOTER TAKES NEW NAME, BUT KEEPS SMOOTH TOUCH

There is one noticeable difference in the nation's top free-throw shooter, but it shouldn't affect her aim any.

Southeast Missouri State University women's basketball star Paula Corder now goes by the name of Paula Corder-King after being married over the summer.

But that should make her no less deadly on the court as she attempts to build on a phenomenal foul-shooting streak this season."I doubt if people will notice anything different about me," said Corder-King during the Otahkians' Media Day Wednesday. "I'm still the same old Paula."That should be good enough as far as Southeast coach Ed Arnzen is concerned."The only thing that's really changed is her name," he said. "But if anything, Paula seems more content and happier this year. I think her marriage has been a good thing for her."Corder-King, an Ellington native who wed longtime home-town boyfriend Korey King, agrees with her coach."We'd been going out for about six years and we always said we'd get married after college," she said. "But we decided we'd be happier if we were married. We didn't want to wait."To say that Corder-King had an impressive season shooting free throws last year would not even begin to do her justice.

The 5-foot-10 senior forward led the nation -- for both women and men -- by missing just seven of 118 foul shots for an amazing 94.1 percent.

Corder-King set the Ohio Valley Conference record for free-throw shooting and consecutive free throws made, a streak of 39 that she will carry into this season."She's the best shooter I've ever had at any level," said Arnzen. "You're surprised when she even hits the rim on her free throws."But it's not as if last year's marksmanship was something new for Corder-King. The former junior-college All-American at Three Rivers Community College in Poplar Bluff led the nation's jucos in free-throw shooting as a freshman.

And even as a youngster, Corder-King was money from the charity stripe. The former all-stater at Ellington High School won a national Hoop Shoot title as a 13-year-old."Conceivably, she could hit 40 or 50 more free throws in a row," Arnzen said. "She's just a remarkable shooter."It would be easy for people to assume that Corder-King will feel an extreme amount of pressure every time she steps to the free-throw line early in the season, as long as the streak is still intact.

But Corder-King doesn't believe that will be the case."It's something I really haven't thought about much," she said of the streak. "I hit 49 in a row at Three Rivers and the 50th went in and out. I didn't even know I'd had the streak until somebody told me later."I get so wrapped up in the game that I don't really even think about it."She did admit to one ritual that she goes through at the line."Larry Bird has always been my favorite player and every time I shoot a free throw I say his name to myself," she said with a smile.

And it's not as if Corder-King is only great from the free-throw line. She is also an excellent 3-point shooter and a solid all-around player.

Last season, her first with the Otahkians, Corder-King led the Otahkians in scoring with 14.7 points per game as she shot 43 percent from 3-point range. She earned second-team all-Ohio Valley Conference honors."Paula had a very good season for us last year and we're looking for more good things from her this season," said Arnzen.

Corder-King helped lead the Otahkians to their best-ever Division I season last year. Southeast went 19-9, finishing fourth in the OVC but just one game out of the top spot.

The Otahkians were picked fourth in the OVC's preseason poll, which suits Corder-King fine."It was kind of disappointing in a way, but then we decided we can look at this positively," she said. "It's nice being the underdog because you have something in practice to really motivate you."