OAKLAND, Calif. Head-Royce scored the game's last 12 points to pull away from Bentley for a 47-35 boys basketball win Wednesday, improving to 14-11. The Jayhawks never trailed. Bentley erased a nine-point deficit to tie the game at 35, and Head-Royce answered with the decisive run.
Nick Taubes opened the scoring with a 3-pointer off a turnover, assisted by Bryce Clepper. After a Bentley second-chance basket, Head-Royce put together a 6-0 run. Micah Nyamuzuwe hit a 3-pointer from Mikael Akpala, Micah Riebel made a free throw and Akpala scored a second-chance basket from Taubes to make it 9-2. Jonah Greenberg later scored consecutive baskets, both assisted by Nyamuzuwe, for a 17-9 lead.
Bentley kept answering. After Jack Peay hit a 3-pointer from Ezra Goldfarb for a 20-13 lead, Bentley scored five straight points to get within 20-18. The Jayhawks responded with a 7-0 run on a Luke Silva free throw, baskets by Taubes and Greenberg and a Riebel layup off a turnover to go up 27-18. A Riebel second-chance basket made it 31-22.
Bentley then scored nine straight points, including a 3-pointer and a basket off a turnover, to tie the game at 31. Sam Gulaid put Head-Royce back in front on a feed from Greenberg, but Bentley tied it at 33. Greenberg scored on an assist from Alex Jones for a 35-33 lead, and Bentley made two free throws to tie the game for the third time.
Head-Royce did not allow another point. Greenberg scored again on a pass from Jones, Clepper hit a 3-pointer off a turnover and Akpala scored on the third assist from Jones for a 42-35 lead. Riebel added a 3-pointer from Clepper, and Gulaid finished the scoring with a second-chance basket, also assisted by Clepper, to make the final 47-35.
Greenberg led Head-Royce with 12 points off the bench on 6-of-8 shooting and added four rebounds, three on the offensive glass. Taubes had nine points on 4-of-6 shooting with two assists and no turnovers. Riebel had eight points, five rebounds and a team-high three steals. Clepper had three points and a team-high four assists, and Gulaid added four points and two blocks.
Head-Royce shot 20 of 43 (46.5 percent) from the field and held Bentley to 12 of 35 (34.3 percent). The Jayhawks had 15 assists to Bentley's seven and outrebounded Bentley 23-16, including 8-4 on the offensive glass. Both teams committed 14 turnovers, but Head-Royce scored 10 points off turnovers to Bentley's five. The bench gave the Jayhawks 20 points. Bentley stayed close at the line, making 9 of 12 free throws while Head-Royce went 2 of 4.
The win moved Head-Royce to 14-11 in the 2024-25 season.