Dorsey Tops Huskies in Overtime : City playoffs: Dons defeat North Hollywood, 64-61, as McKnight makes six of six free throws in the extra period.

It was merely another close, competitive game for the Dorsey High boys’ basketball team.

But, for North Hollywood, it was an unfamiliar nail biter that put a premature end to an outstanding season.

Dorsey looked like a mirror image of North Hollywood, playing at a fast and furious pace for three quarters. But, come crunch time, in front of a standing-room only crowd at North Hollywood, it was perfect free-throw shooting that lifted Dorsey to a 64-61 victory in overtime Friday night in a quarterfinal game of the City Section 4-A Division playoffs.

Dorsey’s Davey Fortson (25 points) made two free throws to tie the score, 56-56, with 19 seconds remaining in regulation. Had North Hollywood’s Fantasia Johnson made a three-point attempt with three seconds remaining, the Huskies would be on their way to the semifinals instead of Dorsey.

North Hollywood forward Romain Coleman fouled out seven seconds into the overtime period, sending Terrell McKnight to the line to shoot two free throws. McKnight buried both of them to give Dorsey a 58-56 lead and he went on to convert six of six free throws in overtime, accounting for six of the Dons’ eight points.

“It was a great game decided by free throws at the end,” North Hollywood Coach Steve Miller said.

The Huskies (25-2), whose only other loss was to Sacramento Kennedy in the Las Vegas tournament, made only two of eight field-goal attempts in overtime. Johnson’s three-point try from the wing bounced in and out of the basket with two seconds left in overtime.

The lead changed hands 18 times and neither team led by more than five points. North Hollywood’s biggest lead was 23-18 in the second quarter on a free throw by Layfette Baker, a senior forward who was held to only three points.

Damon Ollie (17 points, 16 rebounds) played consistently well throughout, but he could not stop the penetration of the Dons, who had success inside the entire game.

Dorsey guards Kenya Wilkins (nine points), who has signed a letter of intent with Oregon, and Fortson caused trouble for North Hollywood throughout. The Huskies committed 23 turnovers. “Those have to be the best guards this side of North Hollywood,” Miller quipped.

Husky guards Johnson and Arthur Lee (13 points) combined for 32 points.

For the Dons, it was the same kind of game they’ve been playing all year.

“Our league is very tough,” Dorsey Coach Kevin Gibson said. “This is something we’ve been going through since the L.A. Games.”

Dorsey, winner of the Watts Summer Games in June, plays in a more competitive league than North Hollywood, which defeated Valley Pac-8 Conference opponents by an average of 41.6 points a game. Dorsey (14-11), an at-large team from the Southern League, faced Crenshaw, Washington and Carson in league play.