OAKLAND, Calif. Moreau Catholic scored the first 12 points and never gave up the lead, beating Head-Royce 86-47 on Wednesday. The loss dropped the Jayhawks to 18-15 and was their second in a row.
The visitors opened with a 12-0 run before Micah Riebel scored Head-Royce's first basket. Moreau Catholic answered with a 10-0 burst, capped by a 3-pointer, to go ahead 22-2. Jack Peay scored on a feed from Bryce Clepper, and after a basket by Micah Nyamuzuwe, the Jayhawks had their best stretch of the half. Nick Taubes hit a 3-pointer off a Nyamuzuwe assist, and Peay followed with a second-chance 3-pointer set up by Taubes to cut the gap to 29-12. Moreau Catholic answered with back-to-back 3-pointers. After a Taubes basket, the visitors scored the last seven points of the half to lead 42-14 at the break.
Head-Royce played Moreau Catholic closer after halftime. Nyamuzuwe opened the half with a 3-pointer on an assist from Clepper, and Taubes added a 3-pointer off a turnover. Jonah Greenberg scored twice on passes from Taubes and Clepper, and Peay made back-to-back baskets to make it 53-28. Moreau Catholic answered with an 8-0 run for a 69-33 lead. The Jayhawks pushed back again: Greenberg scored consecutive baskets on assists from Taubes, and Mikael Akpala hit two 3-pointers, both set up by Taubes, to make it 74-43. Moreau Catholic then closed with a 12-0 run that built its largest lead at 86-43. A Greenberg free throw and a Peay 3-pointer finished the scoring. Moreau Catholic outscored Head-Royce 44-33 in the second half.
Peay led Head-Royce off the bench with 14 points on 6-of-11 shooting, including 2 of 3 from 3-point range. He also had a team-high six rebounds, three of them offensive. Greenberg had 9 points on 4-of-9 shooting with five rebounds, four on the offensive glass, and two steals. Taubes also scored 9 points, made two 3-pointers and led the team with six assists. Akpala added 8 points on two 3-pointers, Nyamuzuwe had 5 points, two assists and two steals, and Clepper handed out four assists.
The free throw line and ball security accounted for much of the margin. Moreau Catholic made 21 of 27 free throws, while Head-Royce made 2 of 5. The Jayhawks committed 19 turnovers to the visitors' nine. Moreau Catholic also won the rebounding battle 40-27, including 18-13 on the offensive boards, and held a 9-3 edge in second-chance points.
Moreau Catholic shot 42.2 percent from the field and made 11 of 31 3-point attempts. Head-Royce shot 33.9 percent (19 of 56) and went 7 of 22 from 3-point range. The Jayhawks totaled 13 assists and seven steals, and their bench added 16 points.
Head-Royce is now 18-15 on the season after its second straight loss.