MATTOON, Ill. (Interstat) — The Mineral Area Cardinals defeated the Lake Land Lakers 93-74 in a men’s junior college basketball game Wednesday night. The visiting Cardinals seized control with a dominant first half, building a 55-28 lead by halftime. The Lakers could not recover from the early deficit despite a higher-scoring second half. With the victory, Mineral Area improved its season record to 8-5. Lake Land fell to 1-6. The game’s outcome was consistent with statistical projections that favored the Cardinals.