OAKLAND, Calif. Head-Royce Boys JV beat St. Mary's JV 66-27 on Thursday for its fourth straight win and moved to 5-1 in the 2024 summer season. The Jayhawks took over the game on the glass, outrebounding St. Mary's JV 42-22 and outscoring the visitors 16-4 on second-chance points.
St. Mary's JV scored first on a pair of free throws for a 2-0 lead, its only lead of the game. Sanjay Ernst tied it at 2 with a second-chance basket, and Owen Curry put Head-Royce ahead for good with a putback of his own. That started a 21-0 run. Ernst scored seven points during the stretch, including a 3-pointer set up by Tua Montoya, and Max, Montoya and Jackson each scored off turnovers as the lead grew to 21-2.
St. Mary's JV answered with a 3-pointer, but Head-Royce kept adding on. Ernst hit a second-chance 3-pointer for a 26-7 lead, and Lil O followed with a second-chance 3-pointer, assisted by Montoya, for a 29-9 lead. After St. Mary's JV cut the lead to 33-14, the Jayhawks scored the next seven points on baskets by Ernst and Curry and an Alex Jones 3-pointer off a turnover. Jones then hit two more 3-pointers and fed Curry for a basket, part of an 8-0 run that made it 48-16.
The bench took over the closing stretch. With Head-Royce ahead 52-22, Jayan hit a 3-pointer on a pass from Max, Jackson scored on an assist from Lil O, Max added a basket and Jayan hit another 3-pointer off a turnover, assisted by Kian. That 10-0 run made it 62-22, Head-Royce's largest lead at 40 points. Adagio scored the game's final basket on a feed from Jones.
Ernst led Head-Royce with 12 points on 5-of-10 shooting, made both of his 3-point attempts and added five rebounds and two steals. Curry made all five of his shots and finished with 10 points and 12 rebounds, six of them on the offensive end. Jones scored nine points, all on 3-pointers (3 of 5), and added six rebounds, three assists and three steals. Montoya had six points and three assists, while Jackson and Jayan each scored eight points off the bench. Jayan made 3 of 4 shots.
Head-Royce shot 46 percent from the field (29 of 63) and 8 of 24 from 3-point range, which made up for an 0-for-8 day at the free-throw line. The Jayhawks held St. Mary's JV to 20.9 percent shooting (9 of 43), including 3 of 21 from beyond the arc. Head-Royce had 14 steals and outscored the visitors 14-5 in points off turnovers. The bench added 25 points, and the Jayhawks finished with 11 assists to none for St. Mary's JV.
The win improved Head-Royce to 5-1 and extended its winning streak to four games.