OAKLAND, Calif. The Head-Royce boys junior varsity team never trailed Thursday and beat Miramonte JV 68-40 in summer play, using 17 steals and 30 points off turnovers to improve to 4-1 and win a third straight game.
The Jayhawks' defense set the tone from the start with a 10-0 run to open the game. Tua Montoya scored first on a feed from Sanjay Ernst, and Ernst added two baskets off turnovers. Montoya scored off a steal, and Adagio had a second-chance basket in the same stretch. Miramonte answered with seven straight points to get within 10-7, and it later trailed only 16-13. That was as close as it came. Jayan made a 3-pointer to start a 13-0 run, and Lil O took over from there with two 3-pointers off turnovers and a putback in between. Jackson finished the run with a basket off a turnover for a 29-13 lead.
Lil O's third 3-pointer made it 34-15, and Alex Jones hit a 3-pointer off a turnover for a 42-24 lead. Miramonte scored the next six points to cut the lead to 42-30, but Jackson answered with eight straight points on a layup off a turnover, a second-chance 3-pointer and another 3-pointer off a turnover. Max assisted on all three baskets, and Head-Royce led 50-32. Miramonte scored six in a row to get back within 50-36, and then the Jayhawks put the game away with a 14-0 run. Adagio scored nine points in the run, including a 3-pointer. Kian added a 3-pointer and Owen Curry scored off a turnover to make it 64-36. The lead peaked at 28 points, and Jayan and Lil O scored the last two baskets.
Adagio and Lil O each scored 13 points to lead Head-Royce. Adagio made 6 of 8 shots and grabbed four rebounds, three on the offensive glass. Lil O made 5 of 8 from the field, including 3 of 6 from 3-point range. Jackson came off the bench to score 12 points and added three rebounds, two assists and two steals. Ernst had 9 points, three steals, two assists and a block, and Montoya added 8 points, three assists and two steals. Jones had four steals and two assists, Curry pulled down a team-high seven rebounds, and Max had a team-high four assists.
The Jayhawks scored 30 points off turnovers and gave up two. Head-Royce shot 29 of 71 (40.8 percent) from the field and 9 of 38 from 3-point range, and it had 17 assists on its 29 field goals. Its reserves outscored its starters 33-35 was close, as the bench accounted for 33 of the 68 points. Head-Royce also had a 12-4 edge in offensive rebounds and a 7-4 edge in second-chance points.
Miramonte shot 15 of 43 (34.9 percent) from the field and missed all seven of its 3-point attempts. It made 10 of 16 free throws, while Head-Royce went 1 for 3 at the line.
Head-Royce is 4-1 this summer and has won three games in a row.