Head-Royce won the boards and got hot shooting from Micah Nyamuzuwe in a 77-61 win at Athenian on Friday, Jan. 12, 2024. The Jayhawks outrebounded the hosts 35-19 and Nyamuzuwe made 5 of 6 three-point attempts. Head-Royce improved to 19-1 and stretched its winning streak to 12 games.
The opening stretch was tight. Athenian scored first and led 6-4 before Bryce Clepper made two free throws to tie it, one of four ties in the game. After an Athenian 3-pointer put the hosts ahead 9-8, Head-Royce answered with a 6-0 run. Johnny Williams scored, Micah Riebel scored off a turnover and Marcel Pierre-Louis made two free throws for a 14-9 lead. Athenian scored two straight baskets to tie it 16-16, but that was its last tie. Marcus Lefkovits scored on a feed from Clepper, Nyamuzuwe hit a 3-pointer off a Lefkovits assist, and Head-Royce led the rest of the way.
Nyamuzuwe added another 3-pointer for a 29-21 lead, and Riebel hit one of his own to make it 32-23. Athenian made four straight free throws to get within five. Osagie Enabulele then made a free throw, and Head-Royce took a 33-27 lead into halftime.
Nyamuzuwe opened the second half with a 3-pointer, and his fourth three, set up by Lefkovits, made it 40-29. With the Jayhawks up 48-38, they scored six straight. Lefkovits scored on an assist from Jaden Recker, Riebel added a basket and Recker scored a second-chance bucket for a 54-38 lead. Recker then led another 6-0 run, scoring five straight points on a putback, a basket and a free throw. Topher Sah's free throw made it 62-42. Athenian scored five straight to get within 62-47, but Head-Royce answered again. Lefkovits scored twice, Williams made two free throws and Nyamuzuwe hit his fifth three, from Clepper, to cap a 7-0 run and make it 71-49. Clepper scored off a turnover, and Riebel's 3-pointer off a Clepper assist made it 76-52, the Jayhawks' biggest lead at 24. Athenian made three 3-pointers in the closing stretch to set the final margin.
Lefkovits and Nyamuzuwe each scored 17 points to lead Head-Royce. Lefkovits shot 6 of 13 from the field, made all five of his free throws and grabbed seven rebounds, six on the offensive glass. Nyamuzuwe went 6 of 9 from the field. Riebel scored 12 points with four rebounds and three steals. Williams had 9 points and three assists. Clepper scored 7 points and led the team with six assists. Recker scored all 7 of his points in the second half and grabbed six rebounds (four offensive) off the bench. Enabulele made both of his field-goal attempts and finished with 5 points.
Head-Royce shot 42.9 percent (27 of 63) from the field, while Athenian shot 37.7 percent (20 of 53). The Jayhawks had 14 offensive rebounds to Athenian's four and outscored the hosts 6-2 on second-chance points. They also had 13 assists to Athenian's six and got 15 points from the bench. Athenian stayed close early by making 15 of 18 free throws, and both teams committed 10 turnovers.
Head-Royce is now 19-1 and has won 12 straight games.