AMBOY – The Mendota Lady Trojans suffered losses in all three games of the Amboy Holiday Tournament held Dec. 26-28.

Mendota began play with a 53-34 setback to Amboy on Dec. 26.

After trailing 22-17 at the break, Mendota came out firing in the third quarter and scored 12 points while holding Amboy to just six to grab a 29-28 advantage with one quarter to play. But the Lady Clippers turned up the heat in the fourth frame, sparked by a 13-0 scoring over a two-minute span, to take control.

Missed opportunities at the free throw line plagued Mendota as it connected on just one of 12 tries.

“Our free throws need to be better, but probably the best the offense has looked all year,” said Mendota coach John Hansen. “Overall, I was proud of our showing.”

Ava Eddy and Ella Coss dropped in 10 points apiece to pace the Lady Trojans, while Laylie Denault added eight markers. Cassie Gonzalez topped the team with nine rebounds. Jillian Anderson’s 13 points paced Amboy.

***

Newman zoomed out to a big first-quarter lead enroute to a 56-18 decision over Mendota on Dec. 27.

The Lady Comets held a 17-4 lead after the opening stanza and took a 30-13 halftime advantage. The Lady Trojans scored just five second-half points, including being shutout in the fourth period.

“We turned the ball over way too much,” noted Hansen. “Newman is a solid team and they shot and moved the ball really well.”

Eddy had eight points, five rebounds and four steals to lead Mendota. Gonzalez also hauled down five boards.

***

Marquette shot the lights out from three-point range and dealt the Lady Trojans a 62-41 loss in the final day of the tournament on Dec. 28.

Marquette connected on 11 shots from beyond the arc, including five in the first quarter when it built a 21-12 lead. The margin ballooned to 17 (33-16) at the break, and then Marquette drilled four more three-pointers in the third period as it put 23 points on the board to take a 56-29 lead with one quarter to play.

“I wish we would’ve attacked a little more on offense, but 41 points isn’t a bad night either,” said Hansen. “Marquette just shot the ball really well.”

Coss topped the scoring and rebounding chart for Mendota with 11 points and seven caroms, while Eddy, Gonzalez and Emily Sondgeroth added six points apiece.

Mendota is 3-11 on the season.

***

Mendota’s Ava Eddy was named to the all-tournament team.