Girls Basketball: Michigan City, Merrillville get third meeting

PORTAGE — The two teams that topped the DAC at the end of the regular season are set for their third meeting, as Michigan City and Merrillville advanced in the opening round of the Class 4A Portage Sectional.

Michigan City survived an offensive barrage from Hobart, outlasting the Brickies 57-49.

“(Hobart) shot the lights out,” said Michigan City head coach Mike Megyese, who earned his first postseason while as the Wolves’ coach. “But we weathered that storm and were able to re-take the lead.”

The Brickies opened the game by hitting four consecutive 3-pointers, jumping out to an early 12-5 lead. Michigan City spent the rest of the first half battling back, and held a 26-24 advantage after two quarters.

At several points in the third quarter, Michigan City appeared ready to break the game open, but Hobart always responded with a key basket. But in the fourth quarter, the Brickies ran out of answers, hitting just four of their 15 field goal attempts in the final quarter.

“In the second half, I think we did what we needed to do,” said Megyese. “We did a good job of keeping our composure.”

Michigan City’s Toni Murphy led all scorers with 19 points.

Merrillville’s path to the semifinal round was much smoother: a 59-36 win over Valparaiso. The Pirates’ defense blanketed the Vikings, getting Merrillville out to a fast start and never allowing Valparaiso to catch up.

“We came out with great defensive pressure. That’s been our key all year,” said Merrillville head coach Amy Govert. “If we can bring that type of pressure, we’ll be in every game.”

Merrillville led 13-5 after one quarter and pulled ahead 28-10 by halftime. The Pirates hit seven straight shots to start the second half, moving them ahead 44-16 and allowing Govert to empty her bench.

© 2012 Sun-Times Media, LLC. All rights reserved. This material may not be copied or distributed without permission. For more information about reprints and permissions, visit www.suntimesreprints.com. To order a reprint of this article, click here.