OAKLAND, Calif. The Head-Royce boys junior varsity team scored the game's first 22 points and never looked back, routing Valley Christian 89-13 at home on Friday, Jan. 5, 2024. The Jayhawks forced 23 steals and turned them into 32 points off turnovers as they improved to 8-5 and won their second straight game.
Head-Royce opened with two second-chance baskets and made four free throws to build a 10-0 lead. A 3-pointer off a turnover sparked a burst in transition, and three straight baskets off turnovers followed. Another 3-pointer made it 22-0 before Valley Christian scored its first basket.
The Jayhawks answered with back-to-back 3-pointers and a second-chance basket to go up 30-2, and Valley Christian's second field goal made it 30-4. Head-Royce then scored the next 28 points. Six of the scores in that run came off turnovers, and the Jayhawks led 49-4 after the first quarter, a margin they carried into halftime. They picked up the run after the break with two baskets, a 3-pointer and a second-chance basket to reach 58-4.
Valley Christian ended the run with a free throw, but Head-Royce followed with a 19-0 run. Four baskets off turnovers and two 3-pointers fueled the stretch, and the Jayhawks led 73-5 after three quarters. A free throw early in the fourth quarter capped the run at 77-5.
Valley Christian scored three straight baskets to cut the deficit to 77-11, its best stretch of the night. Head-Royce closed with a 12-0 run on six consecutive baskets, the last of which pushed the lead to 89-11, the largest margin of the game at 78 points. Valley Christian scored the final basket. Head-Royce never trailed, and the game had no ties or lead changes.
Individual statistics were not recorded for the game, but the team numbers showed how complete the win was. Head-Royce shot 38 of 68 from the field (55.9 percent), including 8 of 19 from 3-point range, and made 5 of 7 free throws. The Jayhawks outrebounded Valley Christian 35-14, grabbing 15 offensive boards that led to 12 second-chance points. They also had 14 assists and four blocks, and they committed only three turnovers and four fouls. Valley Christian shot 6 of 30 from the field (20 percent), went 0 for 4 from 3-point range and had one assist.
With the win, Head-Royce moved to 8-5 in the 2023-24 season. The Jayhawks return to action at home on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, when they host Bentley JV.