Head-Royce never trailed and controlled the glass in a 71-61 boys basketball win at Athenian on Saturday, Feb. 10. The Jayhawks improved to 29-2 and extended their winning streak to six games. Head-Royce outrebounded Athenian 43-32, grabbed 23 offensive rebounds to Athenian's 12, and held Athenian to 28.8 percent shooting from the field.
Head-Royce scored the game's first five points on a second-chance basket by Bryce Clepper and a 3-pointer by Marcus Lefkovits, assisted by Micah Riebel. After two Athenian free throws, the Jayhawks scored six straight points for an 11-2 lead, with Clepper's basket capping the run. Marcel Pierre-Louis hit a 3-pointer off a Riebel assist to make it 16-4. Later, a 7-0 run that included a putback and a free throw by Pierre-Louis and a second-chance basket by Jaden Recker pushed the lead to 26-10. Lefkovits scored off a feed from Clepper to make it 28-12, Head-Royce's largest lead of the game at 16 points.
Athenian answered with an 8-0 run, two field goals and four free throws, to pull within 28-20. Head-Royce regrouped at the free throw line, where Osagie Enabulele and Riebel each made two, and Recker hit a 3-pointer for a 36-26 lead. Two free throws by freshman Jack Peay helped send the Jayhawks to halftime ahead 38-27.
Athenian cut the deficit to 43-38 in the second half before Micah Nyamuzuwe and Pierre-Louis scored on consecutive trips. After an Athenian 3-pointer made it 47-41, Head-Royce scored six straight points. Clepper made a free throw, Riebel made two and Nyamuzuwe hit a 3-pointer for a 53-41 lead. Athenian twice got within four points, at 55-51 and 63-59, but the Jayhawks answered both times. Recker and Pierre-Louis scored back-to-back baskets to make it 59-51. After Athenian's second push, Head-Royce scored its last eight points at the free throw line, four of them by Nyamuzuwe, to close out the win.
Nyamuzuwe led Head-Royce with 15 points on 4-of-5 shooting, including 2 of 3 from 3-point range, and made 5 of 6 free throws. Riebel had a double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds, seven of them offensive, and added six assists and four steals. Clepper scored 11 points with six rebounds. Pierre-Louis scored 10 points off the bench on 4-of-6 shooting. Recker added seven points, five rebounds and two steals, and Lefkovits also scored seven.
Head-Royce shot 36.7 percent (22 of 60) but got 12 second-chance points to Athenian's five. The Jayhawks had 10 steals and forced 13 turnovers while committing 10, and their reserves combined for 21 points. Athenian made 25 of 27 free throws but shot 6 of 35 from 3-point range. Head-Royce made 22 of 38 at the line.
The win completed a season sweep of Athenian for Head-Royce, which also won 65-60 at Athenian on Jan. 23. The Jayhawks are 29-2.