OAKLAND, Calif. Micah Nyamuzuwe made six 3-pointers and scored 26 points, and Head-Royce opened with a 20-0 run on its way to a 65-31 win over Elevated Legacy 17u on Monday. The Jayhawks (4-1) led from the first basket to the last and won their third straight game of the summer season.
Head-Royce's defense set the tone right away. Jack Peay scored off a turnover on a feed from Nick Taubes, Lamarr Covington followed with another basket off a turnover, and Nyamuzuwe hit back-to-back 3-pointers, the second set up by Bryce Clepper, to make it 10-0. Taubes added a second-chance 3-pointer, Covington scored off another turnover, and Micah Riebel and Jonah Greenberg each scored inside to finish the 20-0 run before Elevated Legacy 17u got on the board.
Elevated Legacy 17u never got closer than 18 points the rest of the way. Jackson answered its first two scores with a pair of 3-pointers, both assisted by Tua Montoya, and Nyamuzuwe then scored eight straight Head-Royce points to push the lead to 34-8. After Elevated Legacy 17u hit its only 3-pointer of the game, the Jayhawks put together a 6-0 run capped by Covington's second-chance basket off a Peay assist for a 40-11 lead. A 7-0 run followed, with Taubes hitting a 3-pointer, Nyamuzuwe scoring inside and Covington converting another turnover for a 47-13 advantage.
Elevated Legacy 17u's best stretch came with Head-Royce ahead 52-17, when it scored six straight points, including two baskets off turnovers, to get within 52-23. Max ended the run with a second-chance basket, and Montoya scored three consecutive Head-Royce baskets, the last on an assist from Lil O, for a 60-27 lead. Nyamuzuwe closed the Jayhawks' scoring with a second-chance 3-pointer and a two to make it 65-29, the largest lead of the game at 36, before Elevated Legacy 17u scored the final basket.
Nyamuzuwe, a senior, shot 10-of-13 from the floor and 6-of-9 from 3-point range and added five rebounds, a steal and a block. Covington made all four of his shots for nine points and added a team-high four steals and two assists. Montoya finished with six points, four rebounds and two assists, while Jackson and Taubes also scored six apiece. Greenberg grabbed a team-high seven rebounds, five on the offensive glass, and Peay, a sophomore, had four points, six rebounds, two assists and two steals.
Head-Royce shot 45.8 percent from the field and held Elevated Legacy 17u to 30 percent, including 1-of-11 from 3-point range. The Jayhawks won the rebounding battle 42-23, and their 19 offensive rebounds produced a 20-8 edge in second-chance points. Head-Royce recorded 14 steals, forced 12 turnovers while committing nine, and outscored Elevated Legacy 17u 16-4 in points off turnovers. The Jayhawks had 12 assists to Elevated Legacy 17u's one, and their bench contributed 20 points.
Head-Royce improved to 4-1 on the summer season with its third consecutive victory.