A deep and solid Winnebago club proved to be too much for Mendota to handle as the Indians rolled up a 53-41 triumph over the Lady Trojans in Big Northern Conference action on Jan. 14 at the MHS gym.

Winnebago quickly built a double figure lead in the first quarter, and while Mendota hung tough and got the margin back to single digits, the Indians ended the first half on a 12-0 run to take a 35-17 lead at intermission.

“We just didn’t get enough going offensively out of the gate,” stated Mendota coach John Hansen. “We never stopped battling, we just couldn’t get enough shots to fall in a row to cut the gap. But I was proud of our effort.”

Amellia Bromenschenkel was the bulk of Mendota’s offense, scoring 35 of the team’s 41 points. She also led with 16 rebounds and five steals. Daisy Arteaga had six rebounds and two assists, while Jenna O’Donnell also picked up two assists.

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Bromenschenkel’s single-game scoring record didn’t even stand two weeks before she shattered her own mark. The junior sharpshooter poured in an amazing 51 points as the Lady Trojans walloped North Boone, 71-22, in a conference matchup on Jan. 16 at Poplar Grove.

Back on Jan. 4, Bromenschenkel burned the nets for 41 points against Rochelle, which is believed to have been a new school record. Against North Boone, she scored 28 points in the first quarter alone, then tacked on 12 more in the second half as Mendota built a 54-6 halftime lead.

“We came out on fire and very aggressive on defense,” said Hansen. “Bromenschenkel just had a monster first quarter.”

Bromenschenkel finished off her record-setting performance with 11 tallies in the third frame. She went to the bench midway through the quarter and then sat the entire fourth period. Mendota held a 70-14 advantage heading to the fourth.

In addition to her offensive fireworks show, Bromenschenkel led the team with 12 rebounds, five assists and eight steals. O’Donnell dropped in eight points and Arteaga provided seven markers, while Bianca Espinoza collected seven rebounds.

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Mendota quite possibly saved its best game of the season for one of the best teams on its schedule. The Lady Trojans had everything working as they stunned Rock Falls, 42-31, in a BNC battle on Jan. 18 at Rock Falls.

Bromenschenkel scored all nine first-quarter points as Mendota moved out to a 9-3 lead after the opening eight-minute session. The junior added eight more tallies in the second period, but Arteaga and Anna Bokus also got in on the scoring as each dropped in a three-pointer to propel Mendota to a 22-9 halftime margin.

But Rock Falls regrouped at halftime and came out a different team in the third quarter. The Lady Rockets heated up with 14 points while Mendota could only muster five in the frame, and the Lady Trojan lead was down to four (27-23) with one quarter to play.

Rock Falls continued its rally until the game was knotted at 29-all with four minutes to play. But Mendota (16-7, 4-2) responded with a 13-2 run over the remainder of the contest, including nailing eight of eight free throws, to seal the victory.

“This was a huge win,” Hansen said. “We came out shooting and moving the ball really well. This was definitely our best game of the season. I’m extremely proud.”

Bromenschenkel ended with 29 points and 10 rebounds. Bokus provided six markers, while Espinoza snared eight rebounds and O’Donnell handed out four assists.