No. 2 North Meck survives persistent pressure from No. 9 Hough, 68-63
North Mecklenburg’s boys basketball team knew it would run into a few speed bumps en route to its goal – a conference title, and more.
The Vikings overcame a big speed bump Friday night, holding off Hough 68-63 to take a two-game lead in the MECKA 4A conference standings.
Jaylen McManus had a game-high 21 points and 10 rebounds, and Davion Mintz added 18 points for North Mecklenburg, ranked No. 2 in the Sweet 16, in snapping the Huskies’ seven-game winning streak.
“We knew they could be a road block,” Mintz said. “We knew we had to come and play. … We’re not in a comfortable spot now, but we’ve got a little stretch.”
But both of the Vikings’ star players were essentially shut down in the second half after combining for 32 points over the first two quarters.
That put the outcome of Friday’s game in the hands of North Mecklenburg’s role players – and they produced. Kendall Coles scored 11 points in the fourth quarter, and Greg Joyner and Ethan Wacker both hit key baskets.
“They really tried to double team us,” McManus said. “But we had other players step up, really played hard and helped us out.”
Still, the Vikings could never put the ninth-ranked Huskies away, even after going up by eight points, 46-38, early in the third quarter, and by six points, 59-53, midway through the fourth.
Qon Murphy came off the bench to score 18 points and Ryan Friday added 15 for Hough, who pulled within three points four times over the final four minutes.
Quote: “I’m happy it was close, but I’m not into moral victories. It was a one-possession game … and we had our opportunities. But they hit some clutch shots, and when we had the opportunities on our end, we just didn’t convert.” – Hough coach Jason Grube.
Records: North Mecklenburg 14-2, 5-0 MECKA 4A; Hough 11-5, 3-2.
Worth mentioning: Hough’s girls held off 14th-ranked North Mecklenburg in the fourth quarter for a 51-48 upset victory on Friday.
Gabby Gianikos scored 14 points, Kaila Thompson 13 and Hailey Gipson 11 for the Huskies (10-6, 3-2 MECKA), who led 44-34 heading into the fourth quarter.
Monell Dunlap had 14 points and 13 rebounds, and Shaniya Lester added 14 points for the Vikings (13-3, 4-1), who rallied to pull within 49-48 with 40 seconds remaining.
But North Mecklenburg missed two layup attempts for the lead, and Hough got a pair of free throws from Gianikos in the final 20 seconds.
What’s Next: Next Friday, North Mecklenburg hosts conference rival Mallard Creek, while Hough plays at Vance.
This story was originally published January 8, 2016 at 10:50 PM with the headline "No. 2 North Meck survives persistent pressure from No. 9 Hough, 68-63."