Trojans dealt losses by Newman, Rock Falls, Ottawa
Sterling Newman pulled away from Mendota in the second half on its way to a 63-43 triumph over the Trojans in a Three Rivers Conference varsity boys’ basketball contest on Jan. 10 at the MHS gym. Mendota dropped to 1-3 in conference play.
The two teams played to a 13-all tie after the opening stanza and then Newman grabbed a 25-20 halftime lead. The game was still up for grabs (41-34) heading to the fourth frame, where the Comets outscored Mendota, 22-9, to win by a comfortable margin.
Dominik Stamberger led the Trojans with 10 points, while Isaac Guzman and Rafael Romero supplied nine points apiece.
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Mendota let a big lead slip away as Rock Falls rallied in the second half for a 71-58 nonconference triumph over the Trojans in a varsity boys’ basketball contest on Jan. 13 at the MHS gym.
The Trojans zoomed out to a 13-3 lead on their way to a 21-12 advantage after the first quarter. Mendota was able to maintain that nine-point lead (37-28) at intermission.
After Romero scored the first bucket of the third quarter for a 39-28 lead, the Rockets started chipping away over the remainder of the frame. The Trojans were still clinging to a 45-40 margin on an Guzman basket with 2:47 to go in the quarter, but Rock Falls scored the final six points of the period on back-to-back three-pointers by Aydan Goff and Kuitim Heald to grab a 46-45 lead with one quarter to play.
Heald started the fourth with another trey before a Ryne Strouss free throw halted a 9-0 Rocket run to make it 49-46 with 7:37 to go. That was as close as the Trojans could get as Rock Falls’ lead reached double figures (59-49) with 3:15 left.
Three Trojans hit double digits in scoring, led by Guzman with 18 points. Izaiah Nanez was next with 15 markers and Romero added 14.
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Ottawa led from start to finish in downing the Trojans, 59-32, in a nonconference game on Jan. 14 at Ottawa.
The Pirates took a 15-5 first-quarter lead and went to the locker room with a comfortable 33-9 margin.
Guzman led the Trojans (7-15) with nine points, while Stamberger provided seven tallies.