*Editor’s note: Redmond Reporter sports writer Tim Watanabe contributed to this report.

—–

Isaac Dotson could hear the jeers.

The Newport High sophomore couldn’t help but hear the Redmond student section yelling, screaming and chanting “choke, choke, choke” as he stood on the free throw line, his team trailing 41-40 with just 5.8 seconds to play.

But Dotson pushed the taunts aside, calmly swished both free throws and Redmond missed a lay-in at the buzzer, giving Newport a 42-41 victory over the Mustangs in the loser-out Sea-King 4A District tournament game at Juanita High School.

“I just did my best to clear my mind of everything and focus on those two free throws,” said Dotson, who scored Newport’s final eight points. “I just did my best to block everything out and pictured myself in practice, shooting free throws like I do every day.”

In a game that featured plenty of missed shots and turnovers, Newport jumped out to a 21-13 lead at the half, only to see Redmond claw back and take the lead after three periods, 31-29, with the help of back-to-back 3-pointers by Jason Harrington.

“For us it was a tale of two halves,” said Redmond head coach Jeff Larson. “The first half we just did not execute very well and I felt we were just a little tentative. The second half I felt we played with the energy and urgency necessary to win a playoff game.”

Newport (15-8) forced Redmond into a shot-clock violation with just 22.7 seconds left, giving the Knights one final possession to take back the lead in the back-and-forth affair. Senior Cole Wiper’s jumper banged off the rim, but Dotson grabbed the rebound and was fouled going back up. After the sophomore made both free throws, Redmond’s Andrew Squiers drove down the court and dished to 6-foot-6 junior Conner Floan, who couldn’t convert the lay-in as the buzzer sounded, ending the Mustangs’ season.

Harrington led all scorers with 19 points, followed by Squires with nine.

“My heart goes out to the seniors especially,” Larson said of his four upperclassmen Squires, Alex Brechner, Joe Mercer and Jacob Meachum, who played their last game in a Mustang uniform. “I just so much appreciate their committment, effort, and loyalty that they have given me and our program over the years. They are all such great individuals and there is no doubt that each and every one one of them are going to be very successful in life. I will miss them.”

The future, however, looks bright for Redmond basketball as four out of five starters return with big-game experience, a group eager to learn from their mistakes and finish the job next year.

“They now know what it looks like and feels like to play in big games, that is something that only experience can teach,” Larson commented. “We will take some time away from the game and decide how and when we want to begin preparing for next year. I suspect we will not take too much time off as there is a strong sense that we have some unfinished business to tend to.”

The Mustangs finished their 2010-11 campaign with an 11-12 overall record and 7-7 in 4A Kingco conference play.