MERED, Calif. (Interstat) — The Merced Blue Devils defeated the Porterville Pirates 61-47 in a men’s junior college basketball game Saturday. Merced established a commanding 42-21 lead by halftime and maintained control throughout the second half. William Oshields Jr. led the Blue Devils with 17 points. Merced shot efficiently, making 12 of 28 three-point attempts and posting an offensive rating of 127.6 on 48 possessions. The Blue Devils improved to 9-13 this season, while the Pirates fell to 5-17. Merced has now defeated Porterville twice this season.