Mendota let a big lead slip away and fell to St. Bede, 44-41, in a Three Rivers Conference varsity boys’ basketball game on Feb. 15 at Peru.

After a sluggish start, the Trojans ramped things up in the second quarter and scored 17 points to take a 23-14 lead to the locker room. But as it turned out, Mendota only tallied 18 points in the second half and St. Bede heated up with 30 as the Bruins pulled out the come-from-behind victory.

Krew Bond had 13 points and Rafael Romero contributed 11 markers to pace the Trojan offense. Ryne Strouss and Izaiah Nanez helped out with eight and seven points, respectively.

***

The Trojans closed out the regular season with a 54-44 verdict over Hall in league action on Feb. 16 at the MHS gym. Mendota wrapped up the Three Rivers Conference campaign with a 3-9 mark.

Mendota took just a one-point lead (7-6) to the second quarter, but Bond scored 13 of the team’s 16 second-quarter points and that enabled the Trojans to carry a 23-13 advantage to intermission. Unlike the night before against St. Bede, the Trojans were able to sustain their lead in the second half. Mendota’s margin swelled to as much as 16 points in the fourth quarter.

Bond finished with a game-high 26 points. He made good on three shots from three-point land, as did Isaac Guzman, who ended with nine tallies.