Morgan R. scored 36 points and grabbed 21 rebounds, and the Head-Royce girls basketball team held off Encinal 53-48 on the road Saturday. The win was the third straight for the Jayhawks, who improved to 20-4.
Encinal scored the first basket, and that 2-0 edge was the only lead the Dragons held all game. Morgan R. answered with two straight putbacks and a basket to start a 7-0 run. After Encinal scored again to make it 7-4, Head-Royce ran off nine straight points. Leila H. hit a 3-pointer on a pass from Morgan R., and Morgan R. added two free throws, a basket and another putback to make it 16-4, the Jayhawks' biggest lead of the game. Morgan R. scored 20 of Head-Royce's 25 first-half points, and the Jayhawks led 25-20 at halftime.
Encinal made a free throw to open the second half, and Head-Royce answered with a 7-0 run. Morgan R. scored on a putback and on a basket off a turnover, and Leila H. hit a 3-pointer off a turnover to push the lead to 32-21. Encinal then scored eight straight points, three of those baskets coming off Head-Royce turnovers, to get within 32-29. A free throw by S. C. tied the game at 34.
Morgan R. put the Jayhawks back in front for good with a 3-pointer. That started a stretch in which Head-Royce outscored Encinal 9-1: Leila H. scored on an assist from Morgan R., and Morgan R. added two free throws and a basket for a 43-35 lead. Encinal stayed close. J. A. scored four straight points to cut the lead to 49-48, but the Jayhawks closed it out at the line. Morgan R. and Elena K. each made a free throw, and Leila H. made two more to seal the win.
Morgan R. made 14 of 34 shots from the field and 7 of 12 free throws. She also had eight offensive rebounds, five assists and four steals. Leila H. added 10 points on two 3-pointers and a perfect 2-for-2 at the line, along with three assists. Kalia K. made both of her shots off the bench for four points and pulled down eight rebounds. Melina M. had seven rebounds and two steals, and Abigail K. scored a key basket on an assist from Melina M. to make it 49-44 late.
Head-Royce shot 31 percent (20 of 65) and turned the ball over 19 times, but it won the glass 51-36. The Jayhawks had 19 offensive rebounds to Encinal's seven, and they outscored the Dragons 10-2 on second-chance points. Head-Royce also forced 16 turnovers and recorded 11 steals. Encinal shot 34 percent and scored 12 points off turnovers. J. A. led the Dragons with 16 points and nine rebounds, H. H. scored 14 and S. C. added 11.
With the win, Head-Royce is 20-4 and has won three straight.