OAKLAND, Calif. Head-Royce opened with a 15-0 run and closed with 40 unanswered points, and the Jayhawks routed Valley Christian 98-23 on Saturday, Jan. 6. Head-Royce's defense came up with 30 steals that produced 37 points off turnovers. The win lifted the Jayhawks to 16-1 overall and extended their winning streak to nine games.

Head-Royce never trailed and was never tied. The Jayhawks scored the first 15 points of the game, and four of their first six baskets came off turnovers. Valley Christian got on the board with a basket off a turnover and made three 3-pointers in the first half to stay within 17-8. Head-Royce answered with a second-chance basket, a second-chance 3-pointer and a 3-pointer off a turnover to go up 25-8.

The Jayhawks broke the game open before halftime. Leading 31-16, Head-Royce went on a 10-0 run built on two 3-pointers and a basket off a turnover to go up 41-16. After a Valley Christian basket, the Jayhawks followed with an 11-0 burst. A 3-pointer off a turnover started it, and consecutive baskets off turnovers kept it going as the lead grew to 52-18. Head-Royce took a 52-19 lead into the break.

The teams traded baskets early in the second half, and Valley Christian's basket off a turnover made it 58-23. That was the visitors' last score. Head-Royce closed the game on a 40-0 run that included six 3-pointers, five baskets off turnovers and four second-chance baskets. The Jayhawks' largest lead was the final 75-point margin, and they outscored Valley Christian 46-4 in the second half.

The official scorer tracked the game at the team level, so no individual statistics were recorded for either side. By any measure, the Head-Royce performance was a group effort. The Jayhawks had 24 assists on 40 field goals, along with 30 steals and five blocked shots, and committed only seven turnovers.

Head-Royce shot 51.9 percent from the field (40 of 77), made 13 of 35 3-point attempts and went 5 for 5 at the free throw line. The defense held Valley Christian to 22.5 percent shooting (9 of 40), including 3 of 16 from 3-point range, and limited the visitors to four assists. The Jayhawks won the rebounding battle 37-23, with 17 offensive rebounds. Those extra chances produced a 20-4 edge in second-chance points, and Head-Royce outscored Valley Christian 37-6 in points off turnovers.

Head-Royce (16-1) stays home to host Bentley JV on Tuesday, Jan. 9.