Portage won the last time they faced Merrillville and things went their way on Friday too. The Portage Indians simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat the Merrillville Pirates 60-31. The Indians have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won six games by 21 points or more this season.
Garrett Clark was nothing short of spectacular: he went 8 of 11 en route to 21 points in addition to five assists and five rebounds. What's more, he also racked up three steals, the most he's had since back in February of 2024. O'Mari Evans was another key player, going 6 for 9 on his way to 14 points.
Clark wasn't the only one working in the assists department: Portage was working as a unit and finished the game with 14 assists. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Merrillville only racked up six assists.
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. Another player making a difference was Cam Jones, who put up six points.
Indians
| 01/24/25 vs Merrillville | 60-31 |
| 01/02/25 vs Lawrence Central | 76-66 |
| 12/21/24 vs Kankakee Valley | 70-43 |
| 12/07/24 vs Hammond Central | 49-43 |
| 11/30/24 vs Munster | 68-47 |
| + 5 more games |
Portage pushed their record up to 11-4 with the victory, which was their tenth straight at home dating back to last season. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 67.8 points per game. As for Merrillville, they are on an eight-game losing streak that has dropped them down to 3-12.
Portage wasted no time getting back out on the court and has already played their next matchup, a 78-75 win against Michigan City on the 31st. As for Merrillville, they also didn't take long to hit the court again: they've already played their next contest, an 82-62 defeat against Harrison on the 25th.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
