Basketball Recap: Merrillville Falls Despite Big Games from Kylie Wells and Malika Jenkins

Merrillville was not able to break out of their rough patch on Friday as the team picked up their fifth straight loss. They fell 49-38 to the Lake Central Indians. The match marked the Pirates' lowest-scoring game so far this season.

Despite the defeat, Merrillville had strong showings from Malika Jenkins, who posted 19 points, and Kylie Wells, who put up 11 points and five rebounds. Jenkins continues to improve, besting her previous point total in each of the last three games she's played. Erin Mukes was another key player, putting up two points and seven boards.

It was another big night for Ayla Krygier, who went 8 of 19 on her way to 22 points for Lake Central. Krygier is trending in the right direction considering she's improved her point production for three straight games. The team also got some help courtesy of Jillian Beaderstadt, who had four points and 11 rebounds.

Merrillville now has a losing record at 4-5. As for Lake Central, the victory made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 6-4.

Merrillville wasted no time getting back out on the court and has already played their next contest, a 68-28 win against New Prairie on the 10th. As for Lake Central, they also didn't take long to hit the court again: they've already played their next game, a 64-24 victory against Andrean on the 10th.