Head-Royce lost 56-46 at John Swett on Saturday, Jan. 6, and dropped to 4-2 on the season. The Jayhawks outrebounded the hosts 42-29, but they committed 30 turnovers, and John Swett scored 18 points off those giveaways.
John Swett led from start to finish. Izzy R opened the game with a 3-pointer, and the hosts went up 14-2 behind two more 3-pointers and a pair of baskets off turnovers. Head-Royce answered with a 9-0 run. Morgan R. scored on a second-chance basket, Hailey H. scored off an assist from Emmy M., Morgan R. hit a 3-pointer and Ella S. added a putback to make it 14-11. John Swett then scored the next eight points, six of them from Franny Y., to lead 22-11. A basket by Hailey H. off a Leila H. assist made it 26-15 at halftime.
Leila H. opened the second half with two straight baskets, both assisted by Morgan R., to cut the deficit to 28-19. After that, John Swett took its biggest lead. Venice G. and Kailea B. combined for a 6-0 run, with two of those baskets coming off turnovers, and the hosts led 36-22. Head-Royce followed with an 8-0 run: Morgan R. scored twice, Hailey H. made two free throws, and Morgan R. finished a layup off a turnover, assisted by Leila H., to make it 36-30. Izzy R answered with a 3-pointer, and the teams traded baskets from there. Ella S. scored twice inside, and a Hailey H. basket plus two Morgan R. free throws made it 47-42. Kailea B. then scored consecutive baskets, the second off a turnover, and John Swett pulled away again. Morgan R. hit a second-chance 3-pointer off an Ella S. assist to make it 52-46, but Sukhu K. scored and Franny Y. made two free throws to close the game.
Morgan R. finished with a double-double: 26 points on 9-of-21 shooting, including 3-of-8 from 3-point range, and 13 rebounds, six of them offensive. She also had five steals, five blocks and two assists. Hailey H. added eight points and 10 rebounds off the bench, which accounted for all of Head-Royce's bench scoring. Ella S. had six points and 10 rebounds with two assists, and Leila H. scored four points with two assists.
The rebounding edge helped Head-Royce: 14 offensive rebounds led to 11 second-chance points, while John Swett had two. The Jayhawks also blocked six shots. Turnovers were the difference, though. John Swett had 14 steals and turned Head-Royce's 30 giveaways into 18 points. Head-Royce scored two points off John Swett's 15 turnovers. The Jayhawks shot 17-of-52 (32.7 percent) from the field and 9-of-16 at the free-throw line. John Swett shot 39.7 percent and made 5-of-17 from 3-point range. Head-Royce outscored the hosts 31-30 after halftime but could not make up the early deficit.
Franny Y. led John Swett with 16 points, four steals and three assists. Izzy R scored 13 points with three 3-pointers, and Kailea B. added 11 points and three steals. Venice G. had eight points and four steals.
Head-Royce (4-2) returns to the road on Tuesday, Jan. 9, at Bentley.