OAKLAND, Calif. Head-Royce beat Athenian 58-32 on Tuesday for its fourth straight win and improved to 7-2. The Jayhawks controlled the offensive glass, and Morgan R. led the way with 24 points, 16 rebounds and five blocked shots.
Athenian scored first and went up 5-4 on a 3-pointer. Morgan R. answered with a second-chance basket for a 6-5 lead, and Head-Royce never trailed again. She scored twice more, both times on assists, and the Jayhawks led 10-7. Athenian made two free throws to pull within 12-9, and Head-Royce answered with an 8-0 run. Kalia K. scored on a putback and made a free throw, Elena K. hit a 3-pointer off a turnover and Ella S. scored on another putback for a 20-9 lead.
The game turned on the next stretch. Leading 20-11, Head-Royce scored 16 straight points. Freshman Vera W. started the run with a basket and a free throw, Abigail K. scored on a putback and Geneva W. L. scored off a turnover. Morgan R. followed with a basket and a second-chance 3-pointer, and the Jayhawks led 32-11 at halftime. Morgan R. scored the first basket of the second half, and Abigail K. finished the run to make it 36-11.
Athenian later scored seven straight points to cut a 42-15 deficit to 42-22, but Elena K. ended the run with a 3-pointer on an assist from Abigail K. Vera W. and Laila J. each added second-chance baskets as Head-Royce kept its lead above 20 points. Morgan R. scored on two more putbacks, one of them a 3-pointer on an assist from Ella S. Ella S. scored the final basket on a pass from Morgan R. to make it 58-32.
Morgan R. shot 11 of 17 from the field, including 2 of 4 from 3-point range, and added four assists and two steals to go with her double-double. Ella S. made 4 of 6 shots for 8 points and had nine rebounds, five steals and three assists. Elena K. scored 8 points with two 3-pointers and grabbed eight rebounds, and Kalia K. had seven rebounds, five of them offensive. Vera W. led the bench with 5 points and two assists, and Geneva W. L. had three steals off the bench.
Head-Royce outrebounded Athenian 58-29 and grabbed 29 offensive rebounds, which led to 22 second-chance points. Athenian had no second-chance points. The Jayhawks shot 34.7 percent (26 of 75), but they held Athenian to 27.5 percent (14 of 51). Head-Royce had 16 steals, forced 19 turnovers and scored 11 points off them, though it committed 25 turnovers of its own. Athenian's No. 5 led all Athenian scorers with 15 points on 7-of-18 shooting, and its No. 1 had eight rebounds.
Head-Royce (7-2) hosts College Prep on Thursday, Jan. 9.