WINNEBAGO – A season to forgot finally came to an end for the Mendota Trojans as they bowed out in the first round of the Winnebago Class 2A Regional. El Paso-Gridley knocked the Trojans from the tournament with a 58-21 victory on Feb. 25.

Mendota concluded the season with a 2-30 record, including losing its final 17 games.

Trouble scoring the basketball plagued the Trojans from the start of the season to the finish and it was no different in the regional. In three of the four quarters against El Paso-Gridley, Mendota scored five or fewer points. For the season, the Trojans got to 50 points in a game only four times.

The Titans took control from the opening tip, racing out to a 22-5 lead at the end of one quarter. The Trojans were only able to score two points in the second stanza and El Paso-Gridley owned a 35-7 halftime lead. The count stood at 47-18 after three periods.

Mauricio Escatel pumped in eight points to lead the Trojans. Emiliano Arteaga, Chris Sandoval and Emilio Perez each added four tallies. Twelve players got in the scoring column for the Titans, but none hit double digits.

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El Paso-Gridley went on to win the regional championship by toppling host Winnebago, 69-60, in the title game on Feb. 28.

El Paso-Gridley advanced to the Princeton Sectional where it played Sterling Newman on March 3. The other sectional game pitted Minonk (Fieldcrest) against Taylor Ridge (Rockridge). The two winners of the March 3 games will battle for the sectional crown at 7 p.m. Friday, March 6 for a right to play in the DeKalb Supersectional on Tuesday, March 10 at 7:30 p.m. against the champion of the Genoa-Kingston Sectional.