The Head-Royce boys junior varsity basketball team beat Capuchino JV 58-34 on Saturday, June 24, and improved to 4-0 this summer. The Jayhawks controlled the glass, outrebounding the hosts 39-15, and pulled away with three scoring runs of seven points or more.
The early going was close. Seabass Heredia-Zulaica opened the scoring with two free throws, but Capuchino JV answered with a 3-pointer off a turnover for a 3-2 lead, its only lead of the game. Mikael Akpala scored on back-to-back baskets to put Head-Royce in front, and the teams were tied at 6-6 and again at 8-8.
Head-Royce broke the game open from there with a 10-0 run. Akpala started it with a putback, Jonah Greenberg made two free throws, and Ezra Goldfarb and Greenberg added second-chance baskets before Akpala finished a feed from Goldfarb for an 18-8 lead. Later, with the Jayhawks ahead 22-12, Nick Taubes set up Tua Montoya for a layup off a turnover and Jack Peay for a 3-pointer off another turnover, and Sam Gulaid scored to make it 29-12. After Capuchino JV scored, Head-Royce added a second 10-0 run, capped by a Greenberg basket on an assist from Gulaid, to lead 39-14.
The hosts never got closer than 23 points the rest of the way. Greydon Ting scored twice in the late stretch, and Taubes scored the Jayhawks' last four field goals, including a 3-pointer on an assist from Peay that made it 58-30. Head-Royce's biggest lead was 29 points, at 51-22.
Akpala led Head-Royce with 12 points on 6-of-10 shooting and added an assist. Taubes had 11 points, seven rebounds, two assists and two steals. Greenberg scored 10 points, made all four of his free throws and added five rebounds, two steals and a block. Peay had seven points and four rebounds, and Gulaid had six points, seven rebounds (four offensive) and two assists. Ting made both of his shots for four points and grabbed five rebounds, and Heredia-Zulaica led the team with three assists.
The rebounding edge made the difference. Head-Royce had 15 offensive rebounds, as many as Capuchino JV had total rebounds, and outscored the hosts 10-7 on second-chance points. The Jayhawks shot 42.1 percent (24 of 57) and assisted on 14 of their 24 field goals. They also made all eight of their free throws. Capuchino JV shot 29.5 percent (13 of 44), including 4 of 18 from 3-point range. Head-Royce committed 11 turnovers to Capuchino JV's six, and each team scored seven points off turnovers.
Head-Royce is 4-0 this summer and has won all four of its games.