Slow start hampers Porterville College

Though Porterville College men’s basketball picked up steam as Saturday’s game against Merced progressed, a sluggish start out of the gates was simply too much to overcome and the Pirates’ fell short, 59-55.

Curtis Glover hit 4-of-7 from beyond the arc for all 12 of his points — which tied Harold Reed for team-high honors — and the team shot a respectable 36 percent from 3-point land.

But the Pirates mustered just 25 percent on 8-of-32 shooting from the field in the first half.

Point guard Alton Williams completed a solid game with 11 points and three assists while Bryant Jackson and Karmell Stone each chipped in eight points.

Jackson also grabbed 10 boards to help his squad keep the battle of the boards close with a slight edge (43-41) in Merced’s favor.

The Blue Devils, however, shot 44 percent in the first half and recorded nine blocks against the undersized Pirates.

Though PC led 24-23 at the half, 24 turnovers proved the final dagger in the end.

Saturday marked the 11th straight loss for the Pirates (2-17, 0-7 Central Valley Conference), who play host to West Hills, Wednesday.