PERU — The Mendota Lady Trojans had a lot to overcome Saturday in the finals of the Lady Bruins Christmas Classic. They had to get over a 14-point second-quarter deficit and the hot hand of St. Bede junior guard Laura Sickley, who scored 10 of her team-high 26 points in the fourth quarter.

They got just enough from sophomore center Amy Devitt (29 points) and a key fourth-quarter three-pointer by senior guard Karly Near to hold on for a 65-62 championship victory.

“Not the way we wanted to start, but anytime you can win any tournament, it’s a big stepping stone,” Mendota coach Kevin Geldon said.