OAKLAND, Calif. Jonah Greenberg scored 11 of his 15 points after halftime, and Head-Royce came back from a six-point second-half deficit to beat St. Joseph Notre Dame 70-67 on Friday. The Jayhawks improved to 16-13 and swept the season series.
Head-Royce controlled most of the first half. Micah Riebel scored two early baskets, and Mikael Akpala hit two 3-pointers on passes from Riebel to help build a 22-14 lead. Back-to-back baskets by Riebel and a second-chance basket by Jack Peay made up a 6-0 run that stretched the margin to 31-21. Luke Silva then hit a 3-pointer, assisted by Peay, for a 34-22 lead, the Jayhawks' largest of the night at 12.
St. Joseph Notre Dame answered with nine straight points, six of them off Head-Royce turnovers, and pulled within 34-31. Ezra Goldfarb ended the run with a second-chance 3-pointer, and Akpala made two free throws for a 39-34 edge. The visitors got within a point before Riebel scored to send Head-Royce into halftime ahead 41-38.
St. Joseph Notre Dame opened the second half with a 7-0 run that turned a three-point deficit into a 45-41 lead. Alex Jones answered with a 3-pointer, but the visitors pushed their lead to 50-44, their largest of the game. Micah Nyamuzuwe hit a 3-pointer and Greenberg scored inside to cut the gap to 50-49, and the teams traded baskets from there. Greenberg tied the game at 59 and again at 61, the second time on a feed from Nick Taubes. Nyamuzuwe followed with a 3-pointer off another Taubes assist to put Head-Royce ahead 64-61.
St. Joseph Notre Dame tied it at 64 with a second-chance 3-pointer, but Nyamuzuwe and Greenberg scored back-to-back baskets for a 68-64 lead. The visitors scored the next three points to get within 68-67. Riebel then scored off a turnover on a pass from Akpala to make it 70-67, the final score.
Greenberg led Head-Royce off the bench with 15 points on 7-of-10 shooting and eight rebounds, four of them offensive. Nyamuzuwe added 14 points, eight rebounds and two 3-pointers, and 10 of his points came in the second half. Riebel scored 12 points on 6-of-11 shooting and had a team-high five assists to go with five rebounds. Akpala finished with eight points, went 2-of-3 from 3-point range and handed out four assists. Jones added six points.
Head-Royce shot 43.8 percent from the field (28-of-64) and hit nine 3-pointers to St. Joseph Notre Dame's six. The Jayhawks' bench outscored the starters' supporting cast with 27 points, and five different reserves made a 3-pointer. St. Joseph Notre Dame shot 37.9 percent and made 11 of 26 free throws. The visitors kept the game close by winning the rebounding battle 37-33, grabbing 15 offensive rebounds, and scoring 16 points off 18 Head-Royce turnovers.
Head-Royce moved to 16-13 with the win. The Jayhawks had also beaten St. Joseph Notre Dame 69-59 at home on Jan. 14.