After a string of six wins, the Merrillville Pirates's good fortune finally ran out on Saturday. They fell to Harrison 56-52. The result shouldn't come as a shock considering that's the fewest points Merrillville has scored all season.
When it comes to explaining why Merrillville lost, one person who can't be blamed is Kelvion Brown. Despite the final result, he scored 17 points. That's the first time this season that Brown scored 15 or more points. Another player making a difference was Bryce Peters, who scored nine points.
It was another big night for Malachi King, who dropped a double-double on 16 points and 12 rebounds for Harrison. King is on a roll when it comes to rebounds, as he's now pulled down eight or more in the last three games he's played. Ray Gibson was another key contributor, scoring eight points.
Merrillville's loss dropped their record down to 9-5. As for Harrison, their victory ended a five-game drought at home and bumped them up to 7-8.
Merrillville will take on Valparaiso at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. As for Harrison, they will head out on the road to challenge Richmond at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Richmond presents a significant challenge as they come into the match much higher ranked than Harrison in Indiana (Richmond is ranked 24th, while Harrison is ranked 88th).
