OAKLAND, Calif. Marcel Pierre-Louis posted a double-double off the bench and Head-Royce turned its defense into offense, beating Drew 82-42 on Tuesday. The Jayhawks improved to 30-2 and extended their winning streak to seven games.
Bryce Clepper opened the scoring with two free throws, but Drew answered with a 3-pointer off a turnover for a 3-2 lead, its only lead of the game. Micah Nyamuzuwe responded with a basket and a 3-pointer, and Johnny Williams scored off a turnover to finish a 7-0 run that made it 9-3. Drew stayed close at 16-12 before Head-Royce pulled away with an 8-0 burst. Pierre-Louis scored a second-chance basket and added a free throw, and Williams followed with a basket off a turnover and a 3-pointer to make it 24-12.
The game turned for good late in the first half. Leading 28-15, the Jayhawks scored 12 straight points. Marcus Lefkovits hit a second-chance 3-pointer, Micah Riebel added another 3, Pierre-Louis converted a basket and a free throw, and Topher Sah buried a 3-pointer from Lamarr Covington for a 40-15 lead. Sah's second-chance basket sent Head-Royce into halftime ahead 42-19.
Lefkovits opened the second half with a basket, and Jaden Recker and Nyamuzuwe (twice) scored off turnovers to push the margin to 50-23. Williams then scored five straight points for a 55-25 edge. A second 12-0 run, from 56-28 to 68-28, featured five points from Pierre-Louis, a second-chance 3-pointer by Riebel and a basket by Williams off a turnover. Freshman Jack Peay scored twice in the closing stretch, and the lead reached its peak of 44 at 80-36. Head-Royce outscored Drew 40-23 after halftime.
Pierre-Louis led all scorers with 20 points on 8-of-10 shooting, along with 10 rebounds (four offensive) and three steals. Williams added 16 points on 7-of-11 shooting with three assists and no turnovers. Nyamuzuwe scored 12 points with two 3-pointers and two steals, and Riebel had nine points and a team-high five assists. Clepper contributed four points, five rebounds and three steals, while Osagie Enabulele and Covington each handed out three assists.
The team numbers showed a lopsided game. Head-Royce shot 48.5 percent (33 of 68) while holding Drew to 28.6 percent (14 of 49), including 6 of 28 from 3-point range. The Jayhawks recorded 16 steals and held a 18-5 advantage in points off turnovers. They also won the glass 38-24, grabbed 15 offensive rebounds and outscored Drew 18-0 in second-chance points. Nineteen assists came on 33 made baskets, and the bench produced 36 points.
Head-Royce is now 30-2 on the season and has won seven straight.