Mendota was hanging around, down 15 in the third quarter.

It could have been a lot closer, but Xander Lewis drew charges on back-to-back possessions, steadying Sycamore during a short offensive dry spell in a 71-58 win over the Trojans on Wednesday.

“I just always put my body out there,” Lewis said of drawing the textbook charges on Oliver Munoz and Cole Tillman. “Anything for the team. If it leads to a win, I don’t care.”

The Spartans (7-1) were playing on the second consecutive night, knocking off Interstate 8 foe La Salle-Peru 70-56 on Tuesday.

It was the second game in three days for the Trojans (5-3), who lost 67-65 at Rock Falls on Monday.

Considering his team was down 25-8 in the first, Mendota coach Steve Wasmer said he liked the way the Trojans stayed in the game.

“We battled back, and I was proud of that,” Wasmer said. “We played with urgency [in the fourth quarter]. ... I’m glad they did that. I just need it for four quarters at some point.”

Dane Doyle drained a 3-pointer in the second quarter to pull Mendota to within 33-24, but Sycamore scored the next six. The lead was never within single digits again.

The lead peaked at 58-38 with 50 seconds left in the third on a 3-pointer by Logan Hodges, his only points of the game.

“We kept saying get it to within five and see what happens,” Wasmer said. “We had a couple good looks and they didn’t go in. We missed some bunnies and they didn’t go in. They threw up some 3-pointers and they went in. That was the difference.”

Lewis was one of four Spartans in double figures, finishing with 15 points, four rebounds and three steals.

Sycamore coach Ethan Franklin said Lewis is an amazing player.

“He plays harder than anybody,” Franklin said. “He had three charges last night and a couple today, running all over the place. He does whatever it takes to win.”

The Spartans made their first five 3-pointers, including three by Isaiah Feuerbach, in the first quarter. After Alex Beetz drained a 3 to open the game for Mendota, Feuerbach answered 10 seconds later for Sycamore, kicking off a 15-0 run in less than four minutes.

“The first quarter is a really big emphasis for us,” Franklin said. “We got out to a good lead and we were able to maintain that. ... That opening start is what made the difference in the game for us.”

Marcus Johnson led the Spartans with 16 points and nine rebounds. Josiah Mitchell added seven points, seven rebounds and four steals, all in the fourth quarter. Feuerbach finished with 15 points, five rebounds and two steals while Aidan Mesenbrink had 10 points.

For Mendota, Cole Tillman, averaging almost 26 points per game, finished with 11, still a team-high. He also had nine rebounds, three steals and two blocks. Aden Tillman also scored 11.

John Cortez scored seven off the bench for the Trojans to go with four rebounds, and Munoz had nine points, four rebounds and three steals off the bench.

“He gives us a huge spark,” Wasmer said. “He’s a good player. He’s aggressive. He’s a really good ball handler. I was really pleased again with his defense. I thought he brought an intensity that really pushed us.”