OAKLAND, Calif. The Head-Royce boys junior varsity basketball team opened its 2025 summer season with a 42-31 win over Lick-Wilmerding JV on Saturday, June 14. The Jayhawks (1-0) forced 17 turnovers, collected 12 steals and scored 11 unanswered points late to break open a game that featured six lead changes and two ties.
The opening stretch went back and forth. Owen scored the first basket of the game, and Lick-Wilmerding JV answered twice to tie the score at 2-2 and 4-4. Jayan hit a 3-pointer off an Owen assist for a 7-4 lead, but the visitors went ahead 8-7 on a second-chance basket. LeAdagio put Head-Royce back in front at 9-8 before Lick-Wilmerding JV scored seven straight points to take a 15-9 lead, its largest of the game.
Head-Royce answered with a 10-0 run. Shaye and John Wheeler each scored to cut the deficit to 15-13, but Lick-Wilmerding JV pushed the lead back to 19-13. PJ then scored five straight points on a basket, a free throw and a layup off a turnover. Makaio gave the Jayhawks a 20-19 lead, and Owen followed with a 3-pointer off a turnover to make it 23-19.
Head-Royce stretched the lead to 28-23 on another Owen 3-pointer and a basket by LoRyan, but Lick-Wilmerding JV scored six in a row to take a 29-28 lead. The Jayhawks answered with the decisive 11-0 run. Owen hit a 3-pointer off a LeAdagio assist to regain the lead for good at 31-29. LoRyan and LeAdagio followed with baskets, LoRyan converted a turnover into two more points and PJ scored off another turnover on an Arthur assist for a 39-29 lead. After a Lick-Wilmerding JV putback, Arthur closed the scoring with a 3-pointer from Clayton to set the final margin at 11 points, Head-Royce's largest of the game.
Owen led the Jayhawks with 11 points on 4-of-6 shooting, including 3-of-3 from 3-point range, and added a team-high four assists. PJ scored seven points off the bench on 3-of-5 shooting and led the team with four steals. LeAdagio added six points, three rebounds and two assists, while LoRyan had six points, three rebounds and two steals in reserve. Makaio chipped in two points, two steals and a block, and Jayan added three points and two steals.
The difference came in ball security. Head-Royce committed only six turnovers and outscored Lick-Wilmerding JV 11-0 in points off turnovers. Lick-Wilmerding JV shot 45.5 percent from the field (15 of 33) and won the rebounding battle 21-18, but went 1-of-9 from 3-point range. The Jayhawks shot 41.9 percent (18 of 43), made five 3-pointers and assisted on 10 of their 18 field goals. The bench provided 20 of the 42 points, and nine players scored.
Head-Royce begins the summer at 1-0.