OAKLAND, Calif. Head-Royce controlled the glass but could not make enough shots Friday, falling 46-42 to Cornerstone Christian. The Jayhawks (17-4) outrebounded the visitors 56-28, but they made 16 of 60 shots from the field (26.7 percent) and committed 22 turnovers.
Leila H. opened the scoring with a 3-pointer off a turnover, assisted by Morgan R. Cornerstone Christian answered with five straight points to lead 5-3 and stretched the margin to 12-6 on a 3-pointer by L.A. Abigail K. scored on back-to-back possessions, the second on a feed from Kalia K. Morgan R. then added a second-chance basket and a free throw to pull Head-Royce within 14-13. Cornerstone Christian answered with nine unanswered points, seven of them by C.B., and took its largest lead at 23-13.
The Jayhawks closed the half on a 13-1 surge. Abigail K. started it with a basket and a free throw, and Leila H. hit a 3-pointer off a turnover to make it 23-19. After a Cornerstone Christian free throw, Morgan R. scored on a second-chance basket and Leila H. tied the game at 24 with a second-chance 3-pointer. Abigail K. then scored on an assist from Morgan R. to send Head-Royce into halftime ahead 26-24.
Cornerstone Christian opened the second half with a 3-pointer from C.B. and free throws by K.B. and K.A. to go up 29-26. Morgan R. scored the next six Head-Royce points on a free throw, a basket assisted by Leila H. and a second-chance basket, putting the Jayhawks back in front at 31-29. That set up the decisive stretch. Cornerstone Christian's No. 13 hit three straight 3-pointers, the first two assisted by K.B., in a 9-0 run that made it 38-31. Head-Royce never got closer than four points after that. The Jayhawks cut the deficit to 41-37, 43-39 and 45-41, but Cornerstone Christian scored each time. Melina M. made a free throw to close the scoring.
Morgan R. led Head-Royce with 14 points and 21 rebounds, 13 of them offensive, and scored nine of her points after halftime. She added two assists and two steals. Melina M. had 8 points, 14 rebounds (10 offensive) and a team-high four steals. Abigail K. scored 9 points on 4-of-7 shooting, and Leila H. added 9 points on three 3-pointers. Kalia K. had 2 points, six rebounds and two assists off the bench.
The Jayhawks turned 29 offensive rebounds into a 17-2 edge in second-chance points. But they made just 3 of 18 attempts from 3-point range and 7 of 18 at the free-throw line. Cornerstone Christian shot 28.8 percent from the field but made 6 of 15 from beyond the arc, which gave it 18 points from 3-pointers to 9 for Head-Royce. The visitors committed 13 turnovers to the Jayhawks' 22. C.B. led Cornerstone Christian with 12 points, and K.B. and No. 13 each scored 11. K.B. also had four assists and four steals.
Cornerstone Christian also won the first meeting between the teams, 52-50 on Jan. 28. Head-Royce (17-4) visits Encinal on Saturday, March 1.