Basketball Recap: Merrillville Comes Up Short

Merrillville was not able to break out of their rough patch on Friday as the team picked up their eighth straight defeat. They had to suffer through a 60-31 loss at the hands of the Portage Indians. The game marked the Pirates' lowest-scoring matchup so far this season.

Despite the loss, Merrillville saw an underclassman step up: freshman Charles Hardiman posted 14 points and three steals. Hardiman is on a roll when it comes to steals, as he's now grabbed two or more in the last four games he's played. Cam Jones was another key player, putting up six points.

Garrett Clark had an outrageously good game for Portage as he went 8 of 11 on his way to 21 points along with five assists and five rebounds. What's more, Clark also racked up three steals, the most he's had since back in February of 2024. Another player making a difference was O'Mari Evans, who went 6 for 9 en route to 14 points.

Merrillville's defeat dropped their record down to 3-12. As for Portage, they have been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five contests, which provided a nice bump to their 11-4 record this season.

Merrillville didn't take long to hit the court again: they've already played their next matchup, an 82-62 loss against Harrison on the 25th. As for Portage, they also wasted no time getting back out on the court and have already played their next game, a 78-75 win against Michigan City on the 31st.