Rose’s second-half effort not enough

SAN ANTONIO | Throughout the NCAA Tournament, Memphis was asked about its poor free-throw shooting during the season, and the Tigers responded by making a percentage that defied their critics.

Until they shot the most important free throws of the season.

The Tigers remarkably lost the national championship to Kansas 75-68 in overtime because they couldn’t make the free ones when they counted most.

A missed one-and-one attempt by Chris Douglas-Roberts with 1:15 remaining in regulation started a stretch of four straight misfires — two more by Douglas-Roberts and another by freshman Derrick Rose.

The Memphis star guards, who had combined to shoot 79 percent from the line during the tournament, kept open the door for the Kansas comeback.

“I wish we would have made free throws,” Memphis coach John Calipari said. “Let’s put it this way … did we have the guys at the line that we wanted at the line? Yeah? They don’t make every one. They’re not machines, these kids.”

The fourth straight miss — the first of two by Rose with 10.8 seconds remaining — kept the score 63-60 and set up the dramatic three-pointer by Kansas guard Mario Chalmers that sent the game into overtime.

Rose had made 11 of 12 free throws in Saturday’s semifinal triumph over UCLA, raising his season percentage to 71.1 entering Monday.

Douglas-Roberts, Memphis’ scoring leader, had made six straight before his first miss Monday and was a 71.4-percent shooter.

“I missed them,” Douglas-Roberts said. “I don’t know why.”

A team that hit 59 percent during the regular season was making 70.2 percent in NCAA play. Memphis wound up 12 of 19 (63.2 percent) for the game.

Rose wouldn’t blame the loss on the misses. The Tigers took a 60-51 lead on Robert Dozier’s two free throws with 2:12 remaining. In the final 2 minutes, Kansas knocked in two three-pointers and the Tigers committed two turnovers.

“It wasn’t the free throws,” Rose said. “It was the plays before the free throws. But, yeah, when you’re at the line you’re trying to make them. I guess we didn’t do it.”

The Tigers’ backcourt was otherwise outstanding — each for a half. All-American Douglas-Roberts kept Memphis in the game with a 13-point first half and he finished with 22.

Rose got off to such a sluggish start it was easy to wonder if the stomach ache that forced him to miss Sunday’s media obligations was more serious. After scoring on a three-point play about 3 1/2 minutes into the game, Rose was held scoreless the rest of the first half.

Rose had 15 points and four assists in the second half and finished with 18 points and eight assists.

“But it came down to them making a lot of plays,” Douglas-Roberts said. “They had the will to win tonight.”