Basketball Recap: Merrillville Piles Up the Points Against Portage

Merrillville entered their tilt with Portage on Friday with four consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with five. They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat the Portage Indians 57-12. That looming 57-12 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for the Pirates yet this season.

Merrillville's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Malika Jenkins, who posted ten points and five assists. The team also got some help courtesy of Nyesha Davis, who had nine points and eight boards.

Pirates

Assists

12/30/23 vs Rushville	17
01/24/25 vs Portage	16
01/17/24 vs Hobart	16
01/10/25 @ Chesterton	15
11/18/23 vs Warsaw	14

Jenkins wasn't the only one working in the assists department: Merrillville was working as a unit and finished the game with 16 assists. That's the most assists they've posted since back in January of 2024.

Merrillville is on a roll lately: they've won nine of their last ten contests, which provided a nice bump to their 13-6 record this season. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 54.5 points per game. As for Portage, they are on a four-game losing streak that has dropped them down to 8-11.

Merrillville has already played their next match, a 72-40 victory against Lowell on the 28th. As for Portage, they also wasted no time getting back out on the court and have already played their next game, a 34-16 win against Griffith on the 25th.