OAKLAND, Calif. Head-Royce turned a 19-steal defensive effort into a 57-46 win over Futures High on Saturday, Nov. 30, rallying from a six-point deficit in the second half to improve to 3-1 on the season. The Jayhawks forced 22 turnovers and outscored the visitors 17-4 in points off turnovers.
Head-Royce scored the first five points of the game on a second-chance basket, a layup off a turnover and a free throw. After Futures High got on the board, the Jayhawks hit back-to-back 3-pointers, the second after a turnover, for a 6-0 run and an 11-2 lead. Two more 3-pointers pushed the margin to 19-8, which matched the largest Head-Royce lead of the game.
Futures High answered with a 7-0 run to pull within 19-15, and after two Head-Royce free throws, the visitors scored three straight baskets to tie the game at 21. The Jayhawks responded with three consecutive field goals, two of them off turnovers, to go back in front 27-21. A second-chance 3-pointer made it 30-23, and another 3-pointer made it 33-28 before Futures High ran off eight straight points, including two 3-pointers, to take a 36-33 lead. The visitors stretched the lead to 40-34, their largest of the game.
That was when Head-Royce took over. Mikael Akpala hit a 3-pointer off an assist from Bryce Clepper, and Micah Nyamuzuwe scored inside to make it 40-39. After a Futures High basket, the Jayhawks put together a 10-0 run. Nyamuzuwe scored on a drive and made two free throws to turn a 42-39 deficit into a 43-42 lead, Clepper added two free throws, and baskets off turnovers by Jonah Greenberg and Nyamuzuwe made it 49-42. Nyamuzuwe scored twice more, the second on a feed from Clepper after a turnover, and Akpala converted another steal off a Nyamuzuwe assist for a 55-44 cushion. Greenberg scored the final basket as Head-Royce closed the game on an 18-4 run.
Nyamuzuwe led Head-Royce with 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting, all of them after Futures High went up 40-34. He also made both of his free throws and added four rebounds, two steals and an assist. Akpala finished with six points, two steals and a 3-pointer, while Greenberg scored four points on 2-of-2 shooting with two steals and two rebounds. Clepper had two points, two assists and two steals.
The Jayhawks shot 32.3 percent (21 of 65) from the field and 7 of 30 from 3-point range, but they created far more chances than Futures High, which shot 40.9 percent (18 of 44). Head-Royce grabbed 16 offensive rebounds to five for the visitors, won the rebounding battle 34-27 and finished with 12 assists. Futures High made just 7 of 15 free throws.
With the win, Head-Royce improved to 3-1 and has won two games in a row.