OAKLAND, Calif. Head-Royce used a 14-0 first-half run to take control and beat Bentley 65-32 on Thursday, Feb. 9, improving to 11-1 on the season. The Jayhawks got 16 steals and turned them into 17 points off turnovers in their second win over the Eagles in three days.
Bentley scored first for a 2-0 lead, and that was its only lead of the night. Andre tied the game with a basket off a turnover, then made a free throw to put Head-Royce ahead to stay. Micah followed with a 3-pointer off a turnover, assisted by Bryce, to cap a 6-0 start. After a Bentley free throw made it 6-3, the Jayhawks scored the next 14 points. Andre hit a 3-pointer, Micah scored inside, Christian converted a steal and Andre added a three-point play. Uche Okereke scored off another turnover and Johnny finished the run with a basket for a 20-3 lead. Micah assisted on three baskets during the run.
Bentley answered with two 3-pointers, but Head-Royce kept adding to the margin. Josh hit a 3-pointer and baskets by Topher and Marcus, both assisted by Gus, made it a 7-0 run and a 31-11 lead. A 6-0 burst later pushed the score to 37-15. Johnny scored off a turnover for a 41-18 lead, and Andre hit his second 3-pointer to make it 44-19. Jaden made three straight free throws, and Christian's 3-pointer made it 52-24.
Bentley scored five straight points to get within 55-31, but Head-Royce closed with an 8-1 run. Marcus scored twice, Malcolm added two baskets on assists from Marcus, and Osagie scored off a turnover with a pass from Gus for the final points. That basket gave the Jayhawks their largest lead of the night at 33 points.
Andre led Head-Royce with 16 points on 6-of-11 shooting, including 2 of 5 from 3-point range, and added five rebounds. Johnny had eight points, four assists and three steals. Micah was 3 of 4 from the field for seven points and also had four assists. Christian scored seven points on 3-of-5 shooting. Marcus posted 10 rebounds, five of them offensive, along with six points, three assists, two steals and a block. Jaden scored six points, going 4 of 6 at the line. Gus had five assists, Bryce had four steals, and Okereke pulled down five rebounds, four of them offensive.
The Jayhawks shot 45 percent (26 of 58) and assisted on 20 of their 26 field goals. They held Bentley to 31 percent shooting (8 of 26) and outrebounded the Eagles 36-17, with an 18-4 edge on the offensive glass. Bentley got 14 of its points at the free-throw line, going 14 of 23, and did not score off a Head-Royce turnover. Bentley's leading scorer had 14 points, 10 of them on free throws, with six rebounds and three blocks.
The victory came two days after Head-Royce beat Bentley 75-36 at home on Feb. 7. The Jayhawks are 11-1 and have won two straight.