OAKLAND, Calif. Sacred Heart Prep shot 52.7 percent from the field and held Head-Royce to 27.8 percent, handing the Jayhawks a 73-50 boys basketball loss at home on Monday. Head-Royce fell to 13-11 and has lost two straight.
Nick Taubes opened the scoring with a 3-pointer off an assist from Mikael Akpala, and that 3-0 edge was the Jayhawks' largest lead of the game. Sacred Heart Prep answered with a 7-0 run to go ahead 7-3. Akpala hit a 3-pointer, set up by Jack Peay, to pull Head-Royce within 7-6, and Bryce Clepper's 3-pointer made it 11-9. The visitors then scored six straight points to lead 17-9 and pushed the margin to 28-14. Akpala and Clepper each made two free throws, and Micah Riebel added two more to get the Jayhawks within 30-20. Sacred Heart Prep closed the half with a 3-pointer and a basket to lead 35-20 at the break.
That stretch was part of a 10-0 run that reached 40-20 early in the second half. Head-Royce responded with a free throw from Alex Jones, then baskets from Taubes and Micah Nyamuzuwe, both assisted by Riebel. Riebel made two more free throws, and freshman Sanjay Ernst hit a 3-pointer off a pass from Jones to cut the deficit to 44-30. Sacred Heart Prep answered with the decisive run of the night, 13 unanswered points that included two baskets off turnovers and a 3-pointer. That spurt made it 57-30, the visitors' largest lead at 27 points.
Nyamuzuwe carried the offense the rest of the way, scoring 18 of Head-Royce's final 20 points. He made three straight free throws, hit three 3-pointers and scored twice on assists from Clepper. Clepper scored the game's final basket off a turnover.
Nyamuzuwe finished with a game-high 23 points on 8-of-18 shooting, including 3 of 7 from 3-point range, and made 4 of 6 free throws. He added four rebounds, an assist and a steal. Clepper had nine points on 3-of-5 shooting, with four rebounds, two assists, a steal and a block. Akpala scored five points and grabbed a team-high five rebounds, and Taubes added five points and four rebounds. Off the bench, Riebel made all four of his free throws and handed out two assists, and the reserves combined for eight points.
The shooting gap explained the result. Head-Royce made 15 of 54 shots from the field and 7 of 31 from 3-point range. Sacred Heart Prep made 29 of 55 and assisted on 20 of those baskets. The visitors also won the rebounding battle, 36-27. Turnovers were nearly even (Head-Royce had nine, Sacred Heart Prep 10), but Sacred Heart Prep scored eight points off turnovers to the Jayhawks' two. Head-Royce made 13 of 22 free throws, and Sacred Heart Prep made 10 of 14.
The loss leaves Head-Royce at 13-11 on the season.