OAKLAND, Calif. Head-Royce opened its 2022-23 season with a 48-22 win over College Prep on Thursday, Feb. 2, improving to 1-0 behind a defense that recorded 19 steals and forced 23 turnovers.
The game was tied once, at 2-2, before the Jayhawks took control and never trailed. A 7-0 run followed the tie. Nicole L. set up a basket, hit a 3-pointer off a turnover and then assisted on another basket for a 9-2 lead. College Prep answered to make it 9-4, but Head-Royce then scored the next 14 points. Hailey H. scored off a feed from Nicole L., and Nicole L. added two baskets and two free throws as the Jayhawks led 19-4 after the first quarter. Elena K. scored on a second-chance basket and Nicole L. converted a pass from Hailey H. to push the margin to 23-4.
College Prep hit a 3-pointer to cut the lead to 23-7, and Head-Royce answered with a 6-0 run. Nicole L. hit another 3-pointer off a turnover and later scored on a layup after a steal for a 29-7 lead. Hailey H. added a basket before halftime, and the Jayhawks went to the locker room ahead 31-8.
Head-Royce stretched the lead to 37-10 early in the third quarter before College Prep scored six straight points. The Jayhawks responded with a free throw from Yaretzi B. and a basket from Hailey H., then closed the scoring with an 8-0 run. Abigail K. scored off a turnover on an assist from Nicole L., Tara P. converted another Nicole L. assist, and Elena K. capped the run for a 48-18 lead, the largest of the game at 30 points. College Prep scored two second-chance baskets to make it 48-22 after three quarters, and that was the final score.
Nicole L. led Head-Royce with 16 points on 6-of-16 shooting, including 2 of 5 from 3-point range, and added seven rebounds, seven assists and three steals. All 16 of her points came in the first half, when she outscored College Prep by herself. Another Jayhawk, whose name was not listed in the statistics, added 15 points, eight rebounds and eight steals. Hailey H. made 4 of 7 shots for eight points and added two assists and two steals, and Elena K. scored four points with two steals. Ella S. grabbed five rebounds, and Tara P. added two points and four rebounds.
The defense was the difference. College Prep made 10 of 47 shots (21 percent) and 1 of 17 from 3-point range, and its 23 turnovers led to 16 Head-Royce points, compared with four points off turnovers for College Prep. The Jayhawks shot 37 percent (20 of 54), outrebounded College Prep 32-25 and totaled 10 assists to one for the visitors.
Head-Royce opens the season 1-0 with a one-game winning streak.