OAKLAND, Calif. Head-Royce forced 20 turnovers and turned them into 15 points as the Jayhawks pulled away from Hayward High for a 72-46 boys basketball win Thursday. The victory lifted Head-Royce to 6-1 and extended its winning streak to five games.
Hayward High controlled the opening stretch. The visitors made two free throws to start the game, and after Sanjay Ernst gave Head-Royce its first lead at 3-2 with a basket off a turnover, Hayward High scored six straight points to go ahead 8-3. The Jayhawks trailed 10-5 before answering with a 6-0 run on baskets by Bryce Clepper, Nick Taubes and Jonah Greenberg to lead 11-10. Hayward High went back in front, but Clepper made two free throws to break a 12-12 tie and Jack Peay followed with a 3-pointer, assisted by Alex Jones, for a 16-12 lead. Head-Royce never trailed again.
The Jayhawks built on that lead through the rest of the half. Taubes scored five points during a 6-0 stretch that made it 22-14, and his 3-pointer pushed the margin to 27-15. Micah Nyamuzuwe scored Head-Royce's last seven points of the half, including a 3-pointer off a turnover, and the Jayhawks led 34-20 at halftime.
Mikael Akpala opened the second half with a second-chance 3-pointer. After Hayward High cut the deficit to 37-24, Head-Royce answered with a 7-0 run, with Nyamuzuwe scoring five of the points, for a 44-24 lead. Jones later hit two 3-pointers and Taubes scored off a turnover to make it 57-36. Hayward High scored six straight points to get within 57-42, but Clepper made two free throws and Nyamuzuwe hit another 3-pointer off a turnover. The Jayhawks finished with an 8-0 run, as Clepper scored once and assisted on two more baskets, to close on their largest lead of the game at 26 points.
Nyamuzuwe led Head-Royce with 17 points on 7-of-18 shooting, and all three of his 3-pointers came off Hayward High turnovers. Taubes scored 16 points off the bench on 6-of-11 shooting, with two 3-pointers and 2 assists. Akpala had 12 points, 8 rebounds and 3 assists, and Clepper added 10 points, 7 rebounds and a team-high 5 assists without a turnover. Peay grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds, five of them offensive, and Greenberg had 4 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists.
Defense decided the game. Head-Royce held Hayward High to 29 percent shooting (16-of-56) and 1-of-12 from 3-point range, and it had 10 steals. The Jayhawks committed only seven turnovers and outscored Hayward High 15-4 in points off turnovers. Head-Royce shot 42 percent (28-of-66), assisted on 19 of its 28 field goals and got 26 points from its bench. Hayward High kept the rebounding close, trailing 39-38 on the boards, and made 13 of 23 free throws.
Head-Royce is now 6-1 and has won five games in a row.