WASHINGTON — Mendota coach Jan Thompson told his team if they were going to get beat, it was because they got beat by a better team.

Bartonville Limestone (22-9) proved to be that better team in Wednesday’s semifinal contest of the Peoria Sectional, scoring the first nine points of the game and taking a 31-16 halftime lead on the way to a 68-51 victory. Mendota pulled within eight points in the third and fourth quarter but got no closer.

“I told them I didn’t want to lose to a team we felt we were better than. Tonight, we got beat by a better team,” Thompson said.