The temperature at tipoff for Tuesday night’s 4A Kingco matchup between the visiting Inglemoor boys basketball team and the Redmond Mustangs was a bone-chilling 23 degrees.

Unfortunately for the home squad, the Mustangs’ shooting efficiency went into a deep freeze as they fell to the Vikings, 56-38.

“We gotta just … there’s frustration,” said a bewildered Redmond coach Jeff Larson, whose team did not make a field goal in the second quarter. “There’s frustration with shots not falling, feeling like you have to play catch-up.”

Redmond fell to 0-2 in league play and 1-2 overall. The Vikings improved to 2-1 in league and 3-1 overall.

Inglemoor broke the game open in the third quarter, hitting its last five shots to take a comfortable 36-22 lead going into the fourth quarter.

SECOND QUARTER STRUGGLES

After a barn-burning, back-and-forth first quarter, the Vikings held a slim 19-15 lead over the Mustangs.

Then someone must have left the gym doors open, letting the sub-freezing cold air into Reiger Gymnasium.

The Mustangs and Vikings combined to shoot an unthinkable 1 for 16 from the field.

The Mustangs’ anxiety came to a head during the second quarter, as they shot 0 for 7 and scored just three points in the quarter, all on free throws.

Their difficulties from long range continued from last Friday night’s game against Newport, as the Stangs’ 1-of-12 effort on Tuesday put their three-point shooting at 3 for 31 (.096) in league play this season.

Fortunately for them, Inglemoor also struggled from the field going 1 for 9. The teams combined to set a dubious 4A Kingco record for fewest points scored in one quarter with just five total in the second quarter.

“We had some tough shots early on in the second quarter,” said Inglemoor head coach Greg Lowell. I told the kids… You’re gonna have nights where you’re not going to score. That’s going to happen. It’s part of the game, but if you can stay consistent defensively, that’s going to keep you in.”

The Vikings’ stingy defense continued into the third quarter, as the Mustangs weren’t able to penetrate or get good looks at the basket. Redmond was held without a field goal for the first seven minutes and 10 seconds of the third quarter until 6-foot-4 senior forward Dominique Redeau drove to the hoop for a layup, causing a cheer to erupt from the stands.

What sealed the Mustangs’ fate was that they got into deep foul trouble early in the third quarter, already over the team limit before the fourth quarter began.

The Vikings scored a majority of their fourth-quarter points from the free throw line with their only field goal coming on a fast-break dunk by 6-8 center Paul Jorg. Inglemoor was 18 of 24 from the line in the final frame.

“The score wasn’t indicative of how this team can play,” Larson said. “When you’re (in foul trouble) with six minutes to go, the score’s going to get spread out. But these guys, they have the heart and skill. We’ll get it right.”

Led by Redeau, the Mustangs started to heat up in the fourth quarter. Redeau made his first three shots of the fourth quarter and Chris Harrington buried a three-pointer, the team’s first of the game.

“I’m very proud of the way they finished in the end,” Larson said. “They competed, and I thought we actually ran our best motion the last three or four minutes of the game.”

VIKINGS DON’T TAKE STANGS LIGHTLY

Although Tuesday’s game was one to forget offensively, Inglemoor players knew not to take the Mustangs for granted with all the weapons in their arsenal.

“We knew all their players could shoot,” said Viking guard Benji Bryant, who scored 16 in the game. (Redmond) doesn’t have one go-to guy, everyone kind of did everything. We wanted to hustle back on defense, and from there just run our stuff. We knew if we just played our game we would beat ‘em.”

Redeau led the team in scoring with 15, including making five of Redmond’s seven field goals in the second half, while Chris Harrington and Max Wisman added six points apiece.

Starting senior guard Justin Alexander had a tough night, shooting 1 of 9 from the field.

Viking forward Adam McElwee led all scorers with 17.

“I told them, we’re 0-2 in league – but we’ve got 14 more league games to go,” Larson noted. “Our goal is to get better every game, and I think they took that to heart… in the fourth quarter. I started to see kids realize what it’s going to take.”

Tim Watanabe can be reached at twatanabe@redmond-reporter.com or by calling (425) 867-0353 ext. 5054.