<table> </table> SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico | When Leo Lyons dropped in a free throw with 7 minutes, 4 seconds to play Thursday, Missouri held a seven-point edge over Xavier.</p><p>From that point Missouri missed eight of 10 free throws and paved the way for its own demise in a 75-71 loss in the Puerto Rico Tip-Off.</p><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s real hard to know that a few more free throws, we would have won the game,&#8221; said Lyons, who made five of his first six free throws starting the game but missed his last four.</p><p>&#8220;We were so close, to lose by free throws and to get killed on the boards.&#8221;</p><p>Xavier grabbed 41 rebounds to Missouri&#8217;s 28.</p><p>But it was those free throws.</p><p>&#8220;This is nowhere how good we&#8217;re going to be,&#8221; Lyons said. &#8220;This hurts.&#8221;</p><p>DeMarre Carroll &#8212; who missed three of four free throws after MU grabbed the seven-point lead and missed four of seven overall &#8212; agreed. Totally, and miserably.</p><p>&#8220;We lost it down the stretch,&#8221; Carroll said. &#8220;We should have made some free throws. One of those games you&#8217;re going to win with heart.</p><p>&#8220;Me and Leo being leaders we need to take it more personally than anyone else.&#8221;</p><p>The Tigers, 2-1, will play Fairfield at 10 a.m. today in the losers&#8217; bracket.</p><p>Fairfield lost to Virginia Tech 74-57 in the first game of the tournament Thursday. Virginia Tech plays Xavier this afternoon.</p><p>Missouri made only 15 of 31 free-throw attempts in the game and seven of 20 in the second half, but it was the stretch run that killed the Tigers.</p><p>Missouri led 65-62 when Lyons missed two freebies at 4:57. It led 67-64 when Lyons missed two more at 4:06.</p><p>Carroll missed another free throw at 2:40 to play &#8212; Missouri&#8217;s fifth straight misfire from the line &#8212; and then made the back end. At that point, Missouri led 70-66.</p><p>The Tigers&#8217; lead was down to 70-69 when Carroll was fouled and went to the line for two free throws with 1:38 to play.</p><p>Carroll missed both shots.</p><p>And then, with Xavier, 3-0, up 73-70 with only 6 seconds to play, the Musketeers fouled MU point guard Zaire Taylor near midcourt.</p><p>Taylor missed the first free throw and hit the second.</p><p>Missouri &#8212; down 73-71 &#8212; fouled Terrell Holloway with 4.2 seconds left, hoping Holloway would miss at least one free throw.</p><p>So much for hope. Holloway swished both and finished the game 10 for 10 from the free-throw line.</p><p>In fact, Holloway scored Xavier&#8217;s last six points, all on free throws in the final 81 seconds.</p><p>Carroll led Mizzou with 17 points but was three for seven at the free-throw line.</p><p>Lyons scored 15 points but went five for 10 at the line.</p><p>Derrick Brown led Xavier with 16 points and finished six of seven from the line. B. J. Raymond scored 11 points for Xavier and was eight of 10 on free throws.</p><p>Xavier hit 30 of 41 free throws in a game in which Missouri made more baskets (25) than the Musketeers (19) did.</p><p>But ultimately it wasn&#8217;t about how many free throws Xavier made as much as how many Missouri missed. And when the Tigers missed them.