OAKLAND, Calif. Head-Royce came back from an 11-point second-half deficit, using a 10-0 run in the fourth period to beat King's Academy 60-58 on Saturday. The win was the Jayhawks' 10th in a row and improved their record to 17-1.
King's Academy scored the game's first six points, and Head-Royce trailed for the entire first half. Micah Riebel hit two 3-pointers, the first on an assist from Bryce Clepper and the second from Osagie Enabulele, to pull the Jayhawks within 13-11. Back-to-back baskets by Clepper and Riebel made it 18-16 before King's Academy answered with a 7-0 run for a 25-16 lead. Head-Royce closed the gap late in the half. After a Riebel basket, freshman Nick Taubes made three straight free throws to cut the halftime deficit to 31-30.
King's Academy pulled away again after the break. It opened the third period with two straight baskets, added two 3-pointers and led 49-40 after three periods. Its lead reached 11 points at 51-40 and again at 53-42.
The Jayhawks answered with a 7-0 run. Riebel scored off a feed from Clepper, Micah Nyamuzuwe hit a 3-pointer and Clepper scored to make it 53-49. King's Academy made two free throws for a 55-49 lead, and Head-Royce scored the next 10 points. Clepper made two free throws, Johnny Williams scored to cut the lead to 55-53, and Nyamuzuwe hit a 3-pointer on an assist from Riebel to give Head-Royce its first lead, 56-55. It was the game's only lead change. Clepper followed with a basket off a turnover and a free throw for a 59-55 lead. King's Academy got a basket and a free throw to close within 59-58, and Williams made a free throw to set the final score. Head-Royce outscored King's Academy 20-9 in the fourth period.
Riebel led Head-Royce with 17 points on 7-of-13 shooting, including two 3-pointers, and added four rebounds. Nyamuzuwe scored 15 points, 12 of them in the second half, and had a team-high six rebounds, two steals and a block. Clepper had nine points, made all three of his free throws and had a team-high three assists. He scored seven of his points in the fourth period. Williams added nine points on 4-of-7 shooting and made the game's final point. The bench scored eight points: three from Marcel Pierre-Louis, three from Taubes and two from Enabulele.
King's Academy shot better, making 55 percent of its shots (22-of-40) to Head-Royce's 41.5 percent (22-of-53). Head-Royce made up the difference by taking 13 more shots, helped by a 10-4 edge in offensive rebounds and 12 King's Academy turnovers. The Jayhawks had seven steals and outscored King's Academy 10-6 in points off turnovers. They also went to the free-throw line more often, making 12 of 23 attempts to King's Academy's 9 of 14.
Head-Royce (17-1) hosts Bentley JV on Tuesday, Jan. 9.