It’s no secret that Merrillville’s Kelvion Brown can be an impactful player on the basketball court.

But as Pirates coach Bo Patton sees it, there are two ways to look at what the 6-foot-4 senior guard/forward brings to the team.

“It’s a gift and a curse,” Patton said with a laugh. “He’s the heart and soul of our team, and he’s our biggest X factor. We’ve been telling him every night that if he shows up, we win games.”

Patton is probably leaning toward the former after Brown showed up for Merrillville’s game in the first round of the Class 4A Valparaiso Sectional on Tuesday. Brown posted a double-double with 14 points and a game-high 10 rebounds as the Pirates edged the host Vikings 45-42.

Freshman guard Charles Hardiman scored a game-high 15 points for Merrillville (6-18), which will play Hobart (9-14) in the sectional semifinals on Friday. Senior guard Caden Crowell led Valparaiso (10-15) with 10 points.

Brown scored the final three points of the game at the free-throw line.

“It’s really this simple: Big-time players make big-time shots,” he said.

Brown also helped Merrillville keep that lead with his defense against Valparaiso junior guard KJ Avery. Brown kept Avery from driving inside during a last-minute possession.

“That’s another big-time player in the Region, so I knew I had to get a stop,” Brown said.

Brown’s success in those moments helped Merrillville avenge a 77-62 Duneland Athletic Conference loss to Valparaiso in January that was part of an 11-game skid. Patton acknowledged it has been difficult to keep the team’s morale high as the losses piled up.

“I told my guys that sometimes you’ll go through things in life and it’s not your fault,” Patton said. “But I have guys who stuck around, who showed up every day and worked hard. I know that all of them wanted to quit at some point because expectations are so high wearing a Merrillville jersey. But they didn’t, and tonight it paid off.”

Brown figured he didn’t have a choice.

“We’ve had some ups and downs,” he said. “But I had to step up and be a leader and just go to work.”

One reason Brown didn’t give up on the season was the opportunity it presented him. Multiple players graduated after last season, opening up playing time that hadn’t been available to him before.

“I’ve been behind people a lot,” Brown said. “Last year, I didn’t play too much, and I knew it was my time to step up this year. They gave me the green light, and I’m just trying to be my best.”

Brown’s best on Tuesday included his 3-pointer during a 12-0 run in the third quarter as the Pirates rallied back from a 27-18 deficit. Brown often followed his baskets and rebounds with a fist pump, a flex or a fierce glare, visible displays of emotion that invigorated teammates like Hardiman.

“That gets us going,” Hardiman said. “We get confident, we get energetic, we get aggressive — everything we needed to do to get this win.”

That got Brown thinking about the next one.

“There are a lot of emotions going through my head right now,” he said. “But I’ve still got to stay levelheaded. We’ve got to win Friday. Then, after that, win on Saturday. So it’s just keeping my head going, keeping my body right, keeping my teammates involved and keeping God in it for sure.”

Dave Melton is a freelance reporter.