HC Kristy Curry’s first night as South Florida’s head coach could hardly have gone better. The Bulls blew past a preseason conference favorite, and the box score was full of good news. But a few minutes before halftime, one moment at the free-throw line caught everyone’s attention in the building and, soon after, across social media.

That moment belonged to Kendall Puryear. With 3:54 left in the first half on Monday, the Purdue transfer took her time at the line against Furman, pulled her right arm back and heaved the ball toward the rim. She missed both free throws, the only two she attempted all night, and the clip went viral almost instantly.

The unusual motion, however, took attention away from what was otherwise a strong debut. Puryear finished with 12 points, nine rebounds, four assists and three steals in 28 minutes as USF cruised to an 80-54 win. The Bulls led 27-12 after the first quarter, outrebounded Furman 48-25 and won the paint battle 50-26. Furman had been picked first in the Southern Conference in the preseason, so this was no pushover.

South Florida took control from the opening tip. Amourie Porter’s free throws put the Bulls up 2-0, and the lead never changed hands again. USF opened on a 9-0 run, forced three Furman turnovers in the first two minutes, and led 27-12 after one quarter.

Furman won the second quarter 20-19, but the Bulls still went into halftime up 46-32. A 23-9 third quarter pushed the lead to 69-41, and it peaked at 35 points late in the fourth.

The numbers were lopsided across the board. USF shot 51.6 percent while holding Furman to 33.3 percent, outrebounded the Paladins 48-25 and won the paint battle 50-26. Six Bulls scored in double figures, led by Stefanie Ingram with 15 points, five assists and two steals. Hannah Kohn added 13.

The 26-point margin was also the fourth-largest in a Division I women’s head-coaching debut since 2013-14.

Despite the dominant win, it was Puryear’s free throws that kept people talking. Fans soon filled social media with jokes and disbelief.

Fans React to Puryear’s Free Throw Form

“This is the most chaotic, bizarre free throw shooting form I think I have ever seen,” one fan wrote, while another added, “How did no coach fix this before college?”

The clip showed why. Puryear paused at the line, jolted upward as if she were about to shoot normally, then cocked her right arm back and heaved the ball toward the rim.

Free throws have been a weak spot for her for a while, and the incident also brought attention to her coaches. At Purdue, she played under Katie Gearlds. Now, Curry has also found herself in the spotlight. Puryear is a career 57% free-throw shooter, so it is possible she was trying something new or working on her mechanics.

“What kind of shot is that?!” a third fan wrote, while another added, “This can’t be real lmao.”

Fans also compared the attempt to a shot-put throw, and her background makes that comparison interesting. According to her Purdue bio, Puryear is a shot-put thrower who was ranked No. 1 in Missouri, where she grew up. Whether that has anything to do with her free-throw form is only a guess.

“What in the Charles Barkley golf swing was that?” read another reaction.

Barkley’s golf swing has been a running joke for years, known for its awkward, hitching motion despite his decades playing the sport. The comparison puts Puryear’s shot in a similar category. Her movement was so far from the usual free-throw routine of balance, eyes, elbow and follow-through that fans quickly reached for another famously unusual motion from a different sport.

USF now travels to Nashville to face Belmont on Friday.

Whether Puryear’s form changes is something to watch. Her next trip to the line comes soon, and plenty of fans will likely be tuned in for it.