Head-Royce scored the first 11 points, never trailed and turned 18 steals into 29 points off turnovers in a 102-41 road win over Redwood Christian on Saturday, Feb. 3. The Jayhawks improved to 25-2.
Freshman Nick Taubes started the game with a basket and a 3-pointer, both off turnovers. Johnny Williams and Micah Riebel followed with baskets, and Williams capped the 11-0 opening run with a second-chance basket. After Redwood Christian got on the board, Head-Royce pushed its lead to 20-5. The Jayhawks then added an 11-0 run to reach 31-5, and Jaden Recker scored seven of those points on a basket, a 3-pointer and another basket. Micah Nyamuzuwe hit a 3-pointer off a turnover and made three free throws late in the half, and Head-Royce led 45-17 at halftime.
Redwood Christian scored first after the break to make it 45-19. Nyamuzuwe answered with a 3-pointer off a turnover, and a 10-0 run moved the score from 50-21 to 60-21. Nyamuzuwe hit another 3-pointer off a turnover during that run, Williams made two free throws and Riebel finished it with a basket off a turnover. Nyamuzuwe added a third 3-pointer of the half a moment later. Head-Royce outscored Redwood Christian 38-19 in the third quarter and led 83-36 going into the fourth.
Topher Sah scored 10 of his 12 points in the fourth quarter, including two 3-pointers. After a Redwood Christian basket made it 88-39, the Jayhawks closed with a 13-0 run. Sah hit a 3-pointer and scored off a turnover, Recker made three free throws, Mikael Akpala hit a 3-pointer and Recker scored a second-chance basket for a 101-39 lead, the largest of the game at 62 points. Taubes made a free throw to finish the scoring.
Williams led Head-Royce with 20 points on 8-of-15 shooting, and he added four assists without a turnover. Nyamuzuwe scored 15 points, made 4 of 5 3-pointers and added eight rebounds and six steals. Recker scored 15 points off the bench with nine rebounds, six steals and three assists. Marcus Lefkovits had 12 points, seven rebounds (six offensive) and three blocks, and Sah shot 5 of 8 from the field. Marcel Pierre-Louis grabbed a team-high 13 rebounds and added eight points and five assists. Taubes finished with eight points, five rebounds and three assists, and Riebel had five points, five assists and three steals.
Head-Royce shot 45.8 percent from the field (38 of 83), including 11 of 34 from 3-point range. It had 26 assists on its 38 field goals and committed only four turnovers. The Jayhawks won the rebounding battle 54-24, grabbed 25 offensive rebounds and outscored Redwood Christian 19-2 on second-chance points. Head-Royce also held a 29-0 edge in points off turnovers, and its bench outscored Redwood Christian 42-41. Redwood Christian shot 31.5 percent (17 of 54), went 6 of 26 from 3-point range and made 1 of 3 free throws.
The victory was the second straight for Head-Royce, which improved to 25-2 in the 2023-24 season.