MENDOTA – Free throws are sometimes an afterthought in a basketball game, but Mendota found out just how important they are.
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Mendota’s Ben Bokus puts up a one-handed shot over Stillman Valley’s Matt Mandzen on Feb. 10 at the MHS gym. (Reporter photo)
MENDOTA – Free throws are sometimes an afterthought in a basketball game, but Mendota found out just how important they are.
The Trojans converted some big charity tosses in the final moments of the game and held on for an entertaining 60-59 victory over Stillman Valley in a Big Northern Conference battle on Feb. 10 at the MHS gym.
Mendota, while making a subpar 59 percent (16 of 27) of its free throws for the game, sank 12 of them in the fourth quarter, including six of six in the final 44 seconds, to pull out the heart-pounding win.
Stillman Valley led 29-25 at the half, but Mendota scored the first five points of the third quarter on a three-point play by Preston O’Sadnick and a bucket by Kaine Pizano-Olson to put the Trojans on top, 30-29. That started a string of 11 lead changes in the third period.
The Trojans held five-point margins on two occasions in the fourth frame, the latter at the 5:17 mark when Blake Stamberger banked in a basket down low to make it 48-43. Oddly enough, that proved to be Mendota’s final field goal of the game.
Stillman Valley tallied six of the next seven points to tie the game at 49-all with 3:29 to go. Ben Bokus broke the tie with a pair of free throws, and Stamberger added two more from the stripe to make it 53-49. A three-pointer by Stillman Valley’s Austin Webb cut the margin to one and then Bokus split a pair of free throws to give Mendota a 54-52 advantage with 1:46 left.
Each team went scoreless over the next 52 seconds before Mendota’s Favian Arteaga calmly drained a pair of free throws to give the Trojans a four-point lead. Stillman Valley traded two baskets for four straight free throws by Bokus, the final two coming with five seconds left. The Cardinals got a three-pointer at the buzzer to come up a point short.
Bokus paced three Trojans in double figures with 21 points, followed by Pizano-Olson with 15 points and Stamberger with 11. Stamberger topped the club with nine rebounds.
Mendota (10-16, 4-4) connected on 43 percent of its field goal attempts and grabbed 24 rebounds, while Stillman Valley shot 41 percent from the floor, 85 percent from the line and had 25 boards. The Trojans committed 15 turnovers, five less than Stillman Valley.
