Head-Royce dropped a 67-60 decision at Oakland High on Saturday, Jan. 27, as the Jayhawks shot 25 percent from the field and Oakland High went 27 of 38 from the free throw line. It was the second loss of the season for Head-Royce, which fell to 23-2.
The Jayhawks held their only lead early. Micah Riebel answered Oakland High's opening basket to tie it at 2, and Micah Nyamuzuwe hit a 3-pointer off a Johnny Williams assist for a 5-4 edge. Oakland High went back in front on its next possession and never trailed again. Williams scored twice inside to keep Head-Royce within a point, and Marcus Lefkovits made two free throws to tie the game at 12.
Oakland High took control from there. An 8-0 run, which included a 3-pointer and a basket off Head-Royce turnovers, pushed the margin to 20-12, and a 6-0 burst later made it 28-16. Nyamuzuwe kept the Jayhawks in range with eight points in that stretch, including a 3-pointer set up by Bryce Clepper, and Riebel's 3-pointer, also assisted by Clepper, cut the deficit to 33-25.
The deciding stretch came after two Clepper free throws made it 35-27. Oakland High scored the next 11 points, including two second-chance baskets and a 3-pointer off a turnover, to open its largest lead at 46-27. Head-Royce answered. Williams scored five points to start the response, and after the Jayhawks trimmed it to 49-32, Marcel Pierre-Louis scored on a putback, Lefkovits hit a 3-pointer from Williams and Williams added a 3-pointer of his own in an 8-0 run that made it 49-40. Oakland High kept its distance at the line. Pierre-Louis hit a 3-pointer from Riebel to make it 59-49, and Riebel scored on back-to-back second-chance baskets to cut it to 64-53, but Oakland High closed out the win at the free throw line.
Riebel led Head-Royce with 14 points and six rebounds, all on the offensive glass, and added two assists. Nyamuzuwe had 11 points, a team-high eight rebounds and a block. Williams scored 11 points on 4-of-7 shooting with three assists and no turnovers. Pierre-Louis gave the Jayhawks eight points, six rebounds and two steals off the bench, Lefkovits finished with six points and six rebounds, and Clepper made all four of his free throws and handed out three assists.
The difference showed up at the line and on the glass. Head-Royce was called for 32 fouls to Oakland High's 19, and Oakland High attempted 38 free throws to the Jayhawks' 23. Oakland High won the rebounding battle 48-36, turned 16 offensive rebounds into 12 second-chance points and scored 10 points off turnovers to Head-Royce's two. The Jayhawks went 17 of 68 from the field and 6 of 30 from 3-point range, though their defense held Oakland High to 33.3 percent shooting and 2 of 22 from beyond the arc.
Head-Royce is now 23-2 on the season.