SENECA – Mendota’s varsity boys’ basketball team lost four straight games and finished in eighth place in the Seneca Thanksgiving Tournament.

Mendota began the tournament with an 87-42 setback to Newark on Nov. 19.

The Norsemen blitzed the Trojans for 37 first-quarter points while Mendota was only able to put eight points on the board. Newark led 55-20 at the half and 77-27 after three frames.

Gavin Glazebrook came off the bench to lead the Trojans with nine points. He hit three trifectas. Emiliano Arteaga chipped in with seven points and topped the team with five rebounds.

The Trojans shot 38 percent from the floor and had 28 rebounds. Newark made 47 percent of its field goal attempts and 62 percent of its free throws. Each team had 28 rebounds. Mendota turned the ball over a whopping 31 times compared to just eight for Newark.

***

A rough second quarter was enough to doom the Trojans against Illiana Christian, 68-34, in the second round of the tournament on Nov. 20.

Mendota trailed by just three (14-11) after the opening stanza, but Illiana Christian pumped in 26 second-quarter points compared to just six for the Trojans to take a commanding 40-17 lead to intermission.

Cole Stremlau’s seven points paced the Trojans, while Joel Figueroa and Arteaga added six apiece. Stremlau also topped the club with seven rebounds.

Mendota connected on 30 percent of its field goal attempts and 33 percent of its free tosses, while Illiana Christian shot 40 percent from the floor and 75 percent from the stripe. The Vikings outrebounded the Trojans, 38-23, and committed 17 turnovers, four less than Mendota.

***

Mendota’s offense was held in check by Hall in a 57-25 Red Devil win on Nov. 23.

The Trojans trailed 28-15 at halftime, then they scored only 10 points in the entire second half.

Joel Escatel and Austin Robinson each had six points to top the scoring column. Stremlau led with three rebounds.

Mendota shot just 21 percent from the floor and 40 percent from the line. Hall hit 56 percent of its field goal tries and 56 percent of its charity tosses. The Red Devils held a 28-16 margin on the glass, while each team committed 14 turnovers.

***

The Trojans finished up the tournament with a 62-51 setback to Reed-Custer on Nov. 24.

The two teams were tied at halftime, 30-30, before Reed-Custer forged in front, 44-40, at the end of three. Reed-Custer pulled away in the fourth frame by outscoring Mendota, 18-11.

Three Trojans hit double digits in scoring, led by Chris Sandoval with 14 points. Arteaga and Figueroa added 11 tallies apiece. Arteaga led with 10 rebounds and Sandoval supplied four assists.

Mendota hit 35 percent from the field, 50 percent from the line and had 23 rebounds, while Reed-Custer shot 44 percent from the floor, 50 percent from the stripe and had 32 boards. The Trojans turned the ball over 11 times, four more than the winners.