By CONOR NICHOLL

cnicholl@dailynews.net

Traci Keyser entered a Knights of Columbus free throw competition in the sixth grade. A Cambridge, Neb., native, Keyser sank 23 of 25 free throws and won her age group on the state and international levels. Shooting free throws helped Keyser develop a love for basketball.

"That was the thing that kind of started me," she said.

Years later, Keyser still loves basketball -- and still shoots free throws at a high rate. Keyser, known for her aggressive style and ability to knock down foul shots, has moved into the starting lineup for the Fort Hays State University women's basketball team. On Monday, she helped the Tigers defeat Missouri Western State University 66-52 with a career-high 14 points and eight rebounds. She went 5-of-6 from the foul line, her first miss in 24 attempts.

"She plays with just a little bit of reckless abandon," Tiger coach Tony Hobson said. "Sometimes it hurts you, but most of the time, it's a good thing. She is really crashing the boards and she is doing it offensively and defensively. She is going to the basket hard. She has probably shot more free throws than anyone else on the team in the last four or five games. In this game and really in most conference games, you can't hesitate. You've got to just go. She is growing up really fast and doing a good job for a freshman."

Keyser, who has started the last three contests after coming off the bench all season, averages 5.6 points and 2.2 rebounds a game. Her 87.9 free throw percentage leads the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association and ranked 10th in NCAA Division II in the most recent national rankings. In addition, she is on pace to break the school record for free throw percentage set by Shauna Porter in 1998-99 (85.1 percent). The Tigers' current 75.9 team free throw percentage also would be a school record.

On Saturday, Keyser and the Tigers travel to Topeka to play rival Wasburn University for a 5:30 p.m. tipoff. Fort Hays (15-5 overall, 8-5 MIAA) is ranked seventh in the South Central Regional poll; top eight reach the NCAAs. The Tigers have lost 14 straight versus the Lady Blues (17-3, 11-3), who are ranked No. 15 in Division II. Washburn defeated FHSU 57-47 in Hays earlier this year. The Lady Blues lead the conference in scoring defense at 54.8 points a contest, while Dayna Rodriguez leads Washburn with 15.1 points a game.

"Every game we play from here on in is to get us to the national tournament," Hobson said.

Keyser, one of multiple new freshmen and transfers that have helped turn around Fort Hays from a sub-.500 team into an NCAA contender, has always enjoyed basketball. In high school, she was a three-time all-state volleyball selection and two-time all-state basketball player. She twice earned all-area girls' player of the Year for southwest Nebraska.

"I grew up playing basketball so it's just something that I really liked and why not go play it and have some fun with some other girls," she said.

Halfway through the season, Keyser played only a few minutes a game and averaged 3.5 points and one rebound. Since January, the 5-foot-10 Keyser has four double-figure contests and collects eight points and four rebounds a night.

"She gets boards," senior forward Erica Biel said. "She has got the defender to where she can drive or where she can pull up and shoot. She is very versatile, which is great."

Hobson noticed Fort Hays started games slowly. He inserted junior Shelby Hillman into the starting lineup and, before a Jan. 27 contest versus University of Nebraska-Omaha, Hobson told Keyser she would start.

"I just thought we needed a little more quickness, a little more giddyup to start the games," Hobson said.

Since starting, Keyser has set and re-set her career highs for points and rebounds -- and continued sinking free throws. Keyser, a right-handed shooter, has followed the same setup for years: right foot slightly in front of left, three dribbles, shoot. And for years, the shots have continued to fall.

"Those are free shots and you need to knock those down," she said.