Mendota and Sterling Newman played a tight game for three quarters before the Comets pulled away in the fourth for a 56-50 Three Rivers Conference decision over the Trojans on Feb. 1 at the MHS gym.

Newman held a two-point lead (14-12) after the opening stanza and then Mendota took a 28-27 margin to intermission. The Comets made up that one-point deficit to knot the score at 43-all heading to the fourth frame, where Newman outscored the Trojans, 13-7, to pull out the victory.

Isaac Guzman and Rafael Romero each had 12 points to top the Trojan scoring chart, while Krew Bond finished with nine points and Emilio Perez added eight.

Each team connected on 22 field goals, but Newman made it to the free throw line 16 times and converted 10, while the Trojans were just two of two from the stripe.

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A fast start carried Princeton to a 66-35 win over Mendota in a league contest on Feb. 4 at Princeton.

The Trojans fell behind 19-7 after the first quarter, and while they heated up in the second period, they still trailed 36-20 at the break. Mendota managed only 15 second-half points compared to 27 for the Tigers.

Bond had 16 points to pace the Trojans, while Romero and Nanez chipped in with eight and six points, respectively.

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Mendota couldn’t stand prosperity as Princeton rallied from a big deficit to down the Trojans, 55-48, in conference play on Feb. 7 at the MHS gym.

Unlike three nights before, the Trojans were the ones in control as they went from an 11-10 first-quarter lead to a 34-21 halftime advantage. Princeton closed the gap after three frames, but Mendota still carried a 41-33 lead to the final frame. But in those final eight minutes, the Tigers erupted for 22 points and Mendota could only muster seven. Princeton went to the free throw line 19 times in the fourth quarter and converted 14.

Bond dropped in 17 points for the Trojans (5-18, 2-7) and Romero provided eight tallies.