OAKLAND, Calif. The Head-Royce boys JV basketball team scored the first 12 points and never trailed on its way to a 55-53 win over San Ramon Valley JV on Monday, June 24, 2024. The win lifted the Jayhawks to 2-1 in the 2024 summer season. Head-Royce led by as many as 13 points, made 8 of 9 free throws and got 19 points from its bench before holding off a late push.
The Jayhawks took control right away. Tucker Peay opened the scoring with a second-chance basket, and Owen Curry followed with two free throws. Sanjay Ernst then scored off a turnover and made two free throws. Alex Jones scored on a feed from Peay, and Cam capped the 12-0 run with a basket. After San Ramon Valley JV hit a 3-pointer, baskets by Max and Ernst made it 16-3, the largest lead of the night.
San Ramon Valley JV answered. Down 21-11, the visitors scored eight straight points, including a 3-pointer and a basket off Head-Royce turnovers, to get within 21-19. Makaio stopped the run with a 3-pointer on a pass from Peay. Tua Montoya added a 3-pointer and a basket, and Head-Royce led 29-26.
The Jayhawks then put together the run that decided the game. Ernst hit a 3-pointer off a Peay assist and followed with a second-chance basket set up by Montoya. Peay scored on a pass from Ernst, and Montoya turned a steal into a layup. That 9-0 run made it 38-26. San Ramon Valley JV stayed within reach, but Max hit a 3-pointer and Peay and Curry scored on Montoya assists to keep the margin at eight or more. Jones scored off a Curry assist for a 53-45 lead. The visitors hit a 3-pointer and scored off a turnover to cut it to 53-50. Montoya answered with a basket, and a San Ramon Valley JV 3-pointer on the final scoring play set the 55-53 final.
Ernst led Head-Royce with 11 points on 4-of-8 shooting and added a team-high nine rebounds, three on the offensive glass, plus two steals. Montoya scored 9 points on 4-of-6 shooting and led the team with five assists and two steals without a turnover. Max also had 9 points off the bench, going 3 of 6 from the field and 2 of 2 at the line. Peay finished with 8 points, four rebounds, four assists, two steals and a block, and Curry had 4 points and six rebounds. Jayan added 5 points.
Head-Royce shot 40.4 percent (21 of 52) from the field, just ahead of San Ramon Valley JV at 40 percent (20 of 50). The difference came at the line, where the Jayhawks went 8 of 9 and the visitors went 5 of 9. San Ramon Valley JV made 8 of 29 attempts from 3-point range. Head-Royce won the rebounding battle 32-28, had 13 assists and 12 steals, and outscored the visitors' bench 19-0 with its reserves.
The Jayhawks moved to 2-1 with their first winning streak of the summer.