Basketball Recap: Merrillville Takes a Loss

Merrillville was not able to break out of their rough patch on Saturday as the team picked up their ninth straight defeat. They came up short against the Harrison Raiders, falling 82-62. The Pirates were not able to make up for their loss to the Raiders from their previous meeting back in January of 2024.

Despite the defeat, Merrillville saw an underclassman step up: freshman Charles Hardiman went 10 for 18 en route to 25 points and five steals. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Hardiman has scored all season. The team also got some help courtesy of Kelvion Brown, who went 5 of 10 on his way to 10 points and five rebounds.

Malachi King was his usual excellent self, going 12 for 16 en route to 27 points along with five assists and five boards for Harrison. King is on a roll when it comes to points, as he's now scored 15 or more in the last eight games he's played. Another player making a difference was Ray Gibson, who went 7 of 12 on his way to 21 points and six assists.

Merrillville's loss dropped their record down to 3-13. As for Harrison, their victory was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 12-3.

Merrillville wasted no time getting back out on the court and has already played their next matchup, a 77-62 defeat against Valparaiso on the 31st. Harrison has also already played their next contest, a 59-37 loss against Mt. Vernon on the 1st.