SENECA – The Mendota sophomore boys’ basketball team won two of three games and finished in second place in the Seneca Thanksgiving Tournament on Nov. 26-27.

The Trojans opened up the tournament with a 41-19 win over Herscher. Mendota went from a 9-7 lead after the first quarter to a 22-12 halftime advantage and kept increasing the margin in the second half.

Cale Strouss and Mason Koch led the way for the Trojans with seven points apiece, while Ryan Stevenson and Logan Dewey each had six markers.

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Mendota rallied in the fourth quarter to down Hall, 42-40, in a second-round contest. The Trojans trailed 30-24 at intermission and 34-30 after three, but outscored Hall, 12-6, in the final frame to pull out the victory.

Strouss pumped in 17 points to pace the attack. Owen Aughenbaugh was next with seven points and Kaleb Kleckner added five tallies.

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The Trojans battled Somonauk in the championship game and the Bobcats came back in the fourth quarter to post a 45-40 triumph. The seesaw affair had Mendota leading 10-9 after one quarter and then falling behind 27-21 at the break. The Trojans forged back in front with a 14-2 third-quarter barrage, but Somonauk outscored Mendota, 16-5, in the fourth to claim the title.

Izaiah Nanez paced Mendota scorers with 17 points, followed by Kleckner with 10 and Stevenson with nine.