<table> </table> Making free throws in an empty gym is easy. Making free throws when 10,000 or more people are watching and hoping is more difficult.</p><p>Until Wichita State masters those mental and physical skills, its development is likely to be marked by difficult defeats. That is exactly what happened on Wednesday when UMKC defeated the Shockers 66-63 at Koch Arena.</p><p>The Shockers (1-1) took a few bad shots and at times looked lost against UMKC&#8217;s changing defenses. They missed 14 of 18 threes and allowed the Kangaroos (1-2) too many layups. Coaches and players, however, kept coming back to the disaster at the line &#8212; WSU made 11 of 24 attempts.</p><p>&#8220;It came down to free throws,&#8221; WSU forward Ramon Clemente said. &#8220;It&#8217;s definitely frustrating.&#8221;</p><p>Not to mention difficult to explain. The Shockers shoot free throws each day in practice and always make the required 75 percent. Put on the real uniforms, fill up the arena and something is different.</p><p>&#8220;Change of atmosphere,&#8221; junior A.J. Hawkins said. &#8220;We work on it all the time. We&#8217;ve got to knock them down in a game.&#8221;</p><p>Even with free throws dragging them down, the Shockers had a chance in the final minutes. Their press forced turnovers and Wichita State ran off six points to slice an eight-point deficit to two with 1:46 to play. Freshman guard Toure Murry provided the biggest play of the rally when he stole the ball near half court, drove to the basket, scored and drew a foul. His three-point play made it 64-62.</p><p>&#8220;There were definitely some nervous times,&#8221; UMKC&#8217;s Dane Brumagin said.</p><p>Things got even tighter for the Kangaroos after a steal by Reggie Chamberlain gave the Shockers two shots in the lane. Hawkins missed from the side. Clemente rebounded in a mass of bodies and missed an off-balance follow.</p><p>&#8220;A.J. had a layup there to tie it,&#8221; Wichita State coach Gregg Marshall said. &#8220;Then Ramon seemed to have it and it looked like he was going to put it back up. I don&#8217;t know what happened there.&#8221;</p><p>The Shockers forced UMKC to take a wild shot late in the shot clock to regain possession with 13.9 seconds to play. UMKC&#8217;s James Humphrey fouled Garrett Stutz as they battled for position in the lane. Stutz made the first, then shot the second too hard. Brumagin rebounded. He made two free throws with 7.9 seconds to play.</p><p>Chamberlain got off a deep three that bounced short off the rim in the final seconds.</p><p>&#8220;We had a play in mind, but there just wasn&#8217;t enough time,&#8221; Chamberlain said. &#8220;I had to push it. I had to shoot it.&#8221;</p><p>UMKC made 12 of 15 free throws and shot surprisingly well from the field. Entering the game, the Kangaroos were shooting 28.5 percent from the field and 26.3 percent from three-point range. Against the Shockers, they cut down on their threes and drove to the basket at every opportunity, often past helpless defenders.</p><p>UMKC shot 50 percent from the field and made six of 16 threes.</p><p>&#8220;We weren&#8217;t taking as many jump shots,&#8221; Brumagin said. &#8220;We just put our head down and drove.&#8221;</p><p>Brumagin called the Koch Arena crowd one of the rowdiest he had witnessed. Sunday&#8217;s game at Allen Fieldhouse prepared the Kangaroos &#8212; with one senior on the roster &#8212; in more ways than one. UMKC was tied at the half against Kansas before losing 71-56.</p><p>&#8220;It proved we can play with anybody when we run the stuff that we run and we play 100 percent,&#8221; Brumagin said.</p><p>Spencer Johnson led UMKC with 14 points in their second straight win over Wichita State. Freshman Latreze Mushatt came off the bench for 13 and Brumagin added 12, nine in the second half.</p><p>Clemente, Hawkins and Murry each scored 11 for the Shockers. Clemente also grabbed 17 rebounds.</p><p>None of that mattered because of the free throws. Clemente missed five. Point guard Clevin Hannah missed both of his free throws and shot two of 10 from the field. Hawkins missed two of three free throws.</p><p>&#8220;We make them in practice,&#8221; Marshall said. &#8220;Every day. They make 75 percent. Without fail. We didn&#8217;t make them in the game.&#8221;