<table> </table> BOISE, Idaho | Never before in the history of the NCAA Tournament have people been so angry about a coach putting in a lesser free-throw shooter. But they were angry, furious, enraged. Those Marquette fans leaned over the railing after the game ended, and they waved their fists, and they screamed at Missouri coach Mike Anderson.</p><p>&#8220;Great job representing your school!&#8221; they shouted.</p><p>&#8220;You have no integrity!&#8221; they shouted.</p><p>&#8220;I hope you sleep well tonight!&#8221; they shouted.</p><p>&#8220;You&#8217;re a disgrace,&#8221; they shouted.</p><p>Yes, there were some hard feelings. You get the feeling that many Marquette fans will always remember Sunday&#8217;s 83-79 loss to Missouri as the Great Free-Throw Robbery. The facts don&#8217;t quite back that up, but facts rarely have anything to do with sports emotion. Bill Buckner did not lose game six of the 1986 World Series (the score was already tied). Steve Bartman did not blow the Cubs&#8217; playoff series by reaching for a foul ball (the Cubs blew a 3-0 lead and then lost again the next night). The Royals did not beat the St. Louis Cardinals in the &#8217;85 World Series because of one bad call (as many people have pointed out, there was only one out when the winning run scored in game six, and the Royals won 11-0 the next night). But you would have a hard time convincing heartbroken fans.</p><p>No, losing fans don&#8217;t want cold logic. The situation Sunday was this: The score was tied in the dwindling seconds, and Missouri had the ball. What a game. The Tigers had played a brilliant first half; their suffocating full-court defense had the Marquette players jumping at shadows and dribbling off their own feet. Marquette did not score a single field goal in more than 12 minutes.</p><p>Meanwhile, Missouri freshman Kim English went nuclear hot &#8212; he scored 15 points in just 5 minutes, he made three-pointers, he drove hard to the basket, he was for a few moments (and for the first time in his Missouri career) utterly and completely unstoppable. The Marquette fans and players all must have had the same reaction: Who the heck is this guy? This would be important at the end.</p><p>Missouri led by 14 points with seconds left in the first half, and even after Marquette&#8217;s Jerel McNeal made a three-pointer at the halftime buzzer, the lead was still a comfortable 11. The game looked to be about over. Marquette did not seem to have the firepower to mount a comeback.</p><p>Ah, but what is Mike Anderson&#8217;s favorite postgame quote?</p><p>&#8220;It was a tale of two halves.&#8221;</p><p>He says that so much that St. Louis columnist Brian Burwell has suggested he shorten it to the acronym &#8220;TOTH.&#8221; And Marquette came out with a whole different energy level in the second half. The Golden Eagles pulled out a trapping defense that knocked Missouri&#8217;s players off-balance and sapped some of their confidence.</p><p>Nine minutes into the second half, Marquette cut Missouri&#8217;s lead to two.</p><p>With 5:36 left in the game, Marquette took the lead.</p><p>The Tigers suddenly looked tired and stunned. Marquette built the lead to four, 78-74, and the Missouri players said that&#8217;s when Tigers guard Zaire Taylor shouted: &#8220;We&#8217;ve been here before!&#8221;</p><p>And those words inspired them.</p><p>J.T. Tiller made two free throws. The Tigers&#8217; defense forced a shot-clock violation. Leo Lyons made a spectacular reverse layup while getting fouled, and he made the free throw. McNeal made a free throw for Marquette. So the score was tied. And Missouri had the ball.