The Head-Royce boys junior varsity basketball team lost 62-36 at Heritage JV on Tuesday, Nov. 22. Heritage JV scored the first 12 points and never trailed, and the Jayhawks committed 24 turnovers in the loss. Head-Royce dropped to 1-2 on the season.
Heritage JV took control right away. Four of its first six field goals came off turnovers during a 12-0 opening run. Sanil Saxena put Head-Royce on the board with a 3-pointer off an assist from Ezra Goldfarb, but Heritage JV answered with six straight points to lead 18-3. The Jayhawks closed the first quarter with four unanswered points: two free throws from Jonah Greenberg and a basket by Micah Riebel on a feed from Saxena. Heritage JV led 18-7 after one quarter.
Riebel carried the offense in the second quarter. He scored eight points in the period, and a 3-pointer from Greydon Ting, set up by Riebel, cut the deficit to 25-18. Heritage JV then pulled away with a 15-0 run that started before halftime and carried into the third quarter. Heritage JV led 33-18 at the break, and the run pushed the margin to 40-18.
Richard Jones scored all seven of his points in the third quarter to stop the run. He made three free throws and added two baskets, the second on an assist from Greenberg, which made it 46-25. Heritage JV answered with a 12-0 run that spanned the third and fourth quarters, starting with back-to-back 3-pointers, and led 58-25. The lead peaked at 33 points. Head-Royce outscored Heritage JV 11-4 over the final stretch. Mikael Akpala scored on an assist from Jeffrey, Jeffrey added two free throws and a basket off a pass from Riebel, and Akpala closed the scoring with a 3-pointer.
Riebel led Head-Royce with 12 points on 4-of-14 shooting and 4-of-6 at the free throw line, along with two assists and two steals. Akpala finished with five points and a team-high seven rebounds, five of them on the offensive glass, plus two steals and a block. Greenberg grabbed six rebounds and had a team-high three steals, and Jeffrey scored four points on 1-of-2 shooting and 2-of-2 from the line.
Ball security decided the game. Head-Royce committed 24 turnovers, while Heritage JV committed six, and Heritage JV scored 12 points off those miscues. The Jayhawks had eight steals but got no points off turnovers. Head-Royce shot 11-of-49 (22 percent) from the field and 3-of-21 from 3-point range, while Heritage JV shot 36 percent (24-of-66). Heritage JV also won the rebounding battle 41-27, including 18 offensive rebounds. Both teams made 11 free throws, with Head-Royce going 11-of-16 and Heritage JV going 11-of-20.
Head-Royce is now 1-2 this season.