OAKLAND, Calif. Head-Royce never trailed and controlled the offensive glass in a 67-54 win over St. Mary's on Tuesday, improving to 5-0. The Jayhawks had 18 offensive rebounds to four for St. Mary's and turned that edge into a 12-2 advantage in second-chance points.
Bryce Clepper and Johnny Williams each made two free throws to open the game, and Head-Royce led 4-0. St. Mary's tied it at 6-6 and again at 10-10, but Micah Riebel broke the second tie with a 3-pointer off a Williams assist. Micah Nyamuzuwe followed with a basket and a free throw. After St. Mary's pulled within 18-17, the Jayhawks scored eight straight points on a Williams putback, another basket and free throw from Nyamuzuwe and a 3-pointer by Zach Gottschalk. Gottschalk added a second 3-pointer for a 29-19 lead. St. Mary's answered with seven straight points to get within 29-26, and a Nyamuzuwe basket made it 31-26 after the first quarter.
That basket started the 10-0 run that decided the game. Riebel scored off a turnover, Williams made a free throw and Riebel hit a 3-pointer off another turnover. Clepper finished the run with a basket off a turnover, assisted by Riebel, for a 39-26 lead. Marcus Lefkovits scored three baskets in the second quarter, and his last one, set up by Williams, made it 52-36, the biggest lead of the game at 16. Head-Royce outscored St. Mary's 21-12 in the quarter and led 52-38 at halftime.
St. Mary's made a push after the break. Jaden Recker's putback made it 54-40, and then St. Mary's scored 10 straight points to cut the lead to 54-50. The Jayhawks answered with six straight points. Lefkovits scored on a putback, and Nyamuzuwe and Williams each scored off Clepper assists to restore a 60-50 lead. Riebel added a putback, and Nyamuzuwe closed the scoring with a basket and free throw and then a basket off a turnover for the 67-54 final.
Nyamuzuwe led Head-Royce with 17 points on 6-of-13 shooting, going 5 of 7 at the free-throw line, with five rebounds and two steals. Riebel scored 12 points, made 2 of 4 from 3-point range and had three steals. Williams nearly had a double-double with nine points, 11 rebounds, five assists and three steals. Lefkovits had eight points and two blocks, and Clepper added five points, six rebounds and four assists.
Head-Royce shot 37 percent from the field, but it took 68 shots to 46 for St. Mary's and outrebounded the visitors 40-25. The Jayhawks had 12 steals and scored 13 points off turnovers, compared with eight for St. Mary's. The bench contributed 16 points, led by Gottschalk's six. St. Mary's shot 46 percent but went 0 of 7 from 3-point range and 12 of 25 at the free-throw line.
Head-Royce has won five straight to start the 2023-24 season. The Jayhawks next host Bentley JV on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024.