Jan. 17 – By Ryan Moxon. The Hough boys basketball team needed to convert free throws in the final seconds Friday night to close out a 58-56 road upset of third-ranked North Mecklenburg.

Junior guard Tre Ratliff led the Huskies with 28 points on 11-of-16 shooting from the field and added seven rebounds.

The Vikings erased an eight-point halftime deficit, but Hough sealed the victory when senior guard Justin Funderburk knocked down two free throws in the closing moments.

“They’re a really talented group,” said Hough coach Beau Maye said. “They play hard, they’re well coached, and they made it really tough on us down to the last second — literally.”

Hough improved to 11-3 on the season and extended its winning streak to five games. The Huskies have lost just once since opening the season 0-2.

“I’m super proud of our guys,” said Maye, in his first season as head coach. “They’ve been working hard and putting in the time, and it’s paying off. These guys have earned it. We had to win the game at the end, and we did.”