After a slow start, Kewanee got things rolling in the second quarter and went on to post a 51-39 Three Rivers Conference win over Mendota’s varsity boys’ basketball team on Feb. 8 at the MHS gym.

The Trojans were on top 8-6 after the first quarter, but Kewanee lit up the gym from three-point land in the second period, nailing six shots from beyond the arc to take a 26-20 halftime lead. The Boilers owned a 38-28 advantage with three quarters in the books.

Krew Bond paced two Trojans in double figures with 13 points, while Ted Landgraf supplied 10 tallies.

Mendota had 14 two-point field goals to just six for Kewanee, but the visitors ended with 11 makes from three-point range while the Trojans did not convert a three-pointer.

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Newman put together a strong fourth quarter and rolled past the Trojans, 62-43, in league action on Feb. 11 at Sterling. Mendota dropped to 2-9 in conference games.

Mendota rallied from a 28-19 halftime deficit to make it a five-point game (41-36) entering the fourth quarter, but the Comets poured in 21 points in the final frame compared to seven for the Trojans to post the decisive win.

Landgraf (12) and Rafael Romero (10) hit double digits for Mendota, while Bond contributed eight markers.

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Mendota hung on down the stretch to post a 59-54 nonconference triumph over Newark on Feb. 12 at the MHS gym.

The Trojans were on fire in the first half, scoring 17 points each in the first and second quarters, but the roles were reversed in the third quarter when Newark pumped in 23 points to Mendota’s 10, and it was just a three-point difference (44-41) heading to the fourth. But the Trojans staved off the Newark rally in the fourth to run their record to 6-20 overall.

Bond led the attack with 21 points, followed by Romero with 14 and Landgraf with 10.