OAKLAND, Calif. Head-Royce never trailed and held off a late push from San Marin for a 63-58 win on Friday, Dec. 8, as senior Marcus Lefkovits scored 26 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. The Jayhawks improved to 10-1 and extended their winning streak to three games.
Lefkovits set the tone early, scoring the first three Head-Royce baskets for a 6-2 lead. Bryce Clepper followed with four free throws, and after another Lefkovits basket, Jaden Recker's 3-pointer capped a 7-0 run that made it 15-5. Zach Gottschalk added a 3-pointer for a 20-11 cushion, and two more baskets from Lefkovits, the second off a turnover, pushed the lead to 24-15.
San Marin answered with an 8-0 run and closed to 24-23 on a basket off a turnover. Lefkovits stopped the run with a basket assisted by Micah Riebel, and Head-Royce took a 26-23 lead into halftime.
The Jayhawks pulled away after the break. Johnny Williams scored on a second-chance basket and Lefkovits added another to finish a 6-0 run for a 30-23 lead. Micah Nyamuzuwe hit a 3-pointer, Lefkovits followed with a 3-pointer off a turnover, and Recker buried back-to-back 3-pointers, the second off a turnover, to build the largest lead of the night at 42-27. San Marin responded with a 7-0 run to get within 44-37, but Head-Royce kept answering. A 3-pointer from Lefkovits made it 55-46, and his second-chance basket restored a 10-point lead at 59-49. San Marin scored the next six points to pull within 59-55, and Clepper sealed it with four straight free throws for a 63-55 lead before a San Marin 3-pointer set the final margin.
Lefkovits shot 12 of 17 from the field, including 2 of 4 from 3-point range, and added three assists. Clepper also finished with a double-double, 10 points and 10 rebounds, going 8 for 8 at the line with three assists, a steal and a block. Williams ran the offense with seven assists to go with six points and nine rebounds, five of them on the offensive glass. Recker scored nine points on 3-of-4 shooting from beyond the arc, and Nyamuzuwe added seven points.
Head-Royce shot 43.6 percent (24 of 55) while holding San Marin to 35 percent (21 of 60), including 7 of 26 from 3-point range. The Jayhawks won the rebounding battle 36-23, pulled down 12 offensive rebounds and assisted on 18 of their 24 field goals. They also held a 10-2 edge in points off turnovers.
Head-Royce (10-1) stays home to host Bentley JV on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024.