MENDOTA – One bad quarter proved to be costly for Mendota as it was nipped by LaSalle-Peru, 46-45, in a nonconference varsity boys’ basketball game on Jan. 18 at the MHS gym.

The Trojans started strong, sprinting out to a 15-9 lead after the opening stanza. Mendota held a 27-23 halftime lead, but the wheels fell off in the third period when L-P scored 12 points compared to just four for the Trojans. Mendota’s fourth-quarter comeback came up a point short.

Ben Bokus led the Trojans with 16 points, followed by Bryson Prusator with 15. All of Prusator’s points came from the three-point ball. Blake Stamberger and Joel Figueroa shared topped rebounding honors with four apiece.

Mendota hit 44 percent of its field goal attempts to just 29 percent for L-P, but the Cavaliers fired up 18 more shots than the Trojans. Mendota shot 59 percent from the free throw line and had 20 rebounds, while L-P made 52 percent of its free throws and handled 31 caroms. The Trojans turned the ball over 13 times, four more than the Cavs.

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Winnebago turned a close game at the half into a 68-43 rout over the Trojans in a Big Northern Conference tilt on Jan. 20 at the MHS gym.

Mendota owned a 22-16 lead in the second quarter when Winnebago scored nine straight to forge in front. The Trojans responded with six in a row on a conventional three-point play by Preston O’Sadnick and a three-point field goal by Stamberger, but Winnebago’s Ty Waller followed with a slam dunk and a three-point play to start another 9-0 run by the Indians that put them up for good.

Winnebago turned up its intensity several notches to start the second half and outscored the Trojans, 20-4, in the third to take control of the game.

Prusator connected on five three-pointers on his way to a 17-point explosion to pace the Trojans (7-14, 1-3).