OAKLAND, Calif. Freshman Alex Jones came off the bench to score 31 points and make nine 3-pointers, and Head-Royce beat Head-Royce Alumni 78-60 on Saturday. The Jayhawks rallied from a 10-point hole to improve to 7-5.
The Alumni scored the first 10 points of the game, and three of those five baskets came off Head-Royce turnovers. Jack Peay ended the drought with a basket on an assist from Sanjay Ernst, and Jones followed with a 3-pointer off a turnover. The Alumni still led 20-11 after a second-chance 3-pointer and 26-20 later in the half. Then Jones hit back-to-back 3-pointers, both assisted by Peay, to tie the game at 26.
The Alumni went back in front 28-26, and Head-Royce closed the half on a 9-0 run. Nick Taubes tied the game with a basket, and Jonah Greenberg gave the Jayhawks their first lead at 30-28 on a pass from Jones. Jones hit a 3-pointer off a turnover, and Taubes scored again to make it 35-28 at halftime.
The Alumni scored the first five points of the second half to pull within 35-33. Later, back-to-back 3-pointers gave them a 45-44 lead. Jones answered with a 3-pointer to put Head-Royce back in front, and Taubes followed with a 3-pointer off a turnover for a 50-45 lead. Bryce Clepper's 3-pointer made it 55-48. After the Alumni cut the lead to 59-52, the Jayhawks pulled away with a 9-0 run. Jones scored a second-chance basket and hit a 3-pointer, then Taubes and Clepper each scored to make it 68-52. Another 3-pointer off a turnover by Jones pushed the lead to a game-high 19 points at 73-54. The Alumni answered with six straight points, and Jones and Taubes scored the game's final five.
Jones shot 11-of-20 from the field and 9-of-15 from 3-point range, and he added eight rebounds and two steals. Taubes had 16 points on 7-of-15 shooting with two assists and a block. Mikael Akpala scored 10 points and had three assists. Peay finished with 9 points, six rebounds and four assists, and three of those assists set up Jones 3-pointers. Clepper ran the offense with eight assists, seven rebounds and two steals, and Sam Gulaid grabbed seven rebounds.
The biggest difference came from 3-point range. Head-Royce shot 12-of-44 from beyond the arc, and the Alumni shot 4-of-28, giving the Jayhawks a 36-12 edge in points from 3-pointers. Head-Royce assisted on 22 of its 32 field goals. It committed nine turnovers and forced 16, which led to a 16-6 advantage in points off turnovers. The Jayhawks shot 38.6 percent from the field, and the Alumni shot 36.5 percent. The Head-Royce bench outscored the Alumni bench 34-0. The Alumni won the rebounding battle 43-40, outscored Head-Royce 14-6 on second-chance points and blocked five shots.
With the win, Head-Royce is 7-5 in the 2024-25 season.