OAKLAND, Calif. The Head-Royce boys junior varsity team forced 22 turnovers and turned them into 17 points, beating Piedmont 42-36 on Sunday in a summer game. The win lifted the Jayhawks to 2-1. They had 16 steals, and six of them came from LoRyan.
LoRyan scored the game's first points with two free throws, and Piedmont answered with two free throws of its own. Owen scored on a pass from LeAdagio, and then Piedmont hit a 3-pointer to lead 5-4. Head-Royce followed with 14 straight points. Jayan started the run with a second-chance 3-pointer, scored off a turnover on an assist from John Wheeler and hit another 3-pointer off a turnover, this one set up by LeAdagio. Two free throws from Jayan and a second-chance basket from Makaio made it 18-5. Jayan scored 10 of the 14 points in the run.
Piedmont came back with three 7-0 runs. The first cut the lead to 18-12. Makaio scored off a turnover on a pass from Owen, but Piedmont's second run, which included a 3-pointer off a turnover, brought it within 20-19. A basket by LeAdagio and two free throws by LoRyan pushed the lead back to 24-19. Piedmont then scored seven straight again and took a 26-24 lead, its biggest of the day.
LeAdagio answered right away. He tied the game with a basket off a turnover, then scored off another turnover on an assist from Wheeler to put Head-Royce ahead 28-26. Piedmont tied it at 28, the third tie of the game. Jayan then hit a 3-pointer on a pass from LeAdagio, and Wheeler scored off a turnover on an assist from Jayan to make it 33-28. The Jayhawks did not trail or give up another tie after that. Piedmont got within 33-31 on a 3-pointer off a turnover, and LeAdagio answered with a basket off a turnover on a pass from LoRyan. After two Piedmont free throws made it 35-33, LoRyan scored and then set up Wheeler for a 39-33 lead. Piedmont pulled within 39-36, but a free throw from Makaio and a basket by LoRyan off a turnover closed out the game.
Jayan led Head-Royce with 13 points. He made 4 of 7 shots, including 3 of 5 from 3-point range, and all 2 of his free throws, and he added five rebounds. LoRyan had 10 points, six steals, two blocks, three rebounds and two assists, and he made all 4 of his free throws. LeAdagio made 4 of 6 shots for eight points, six of them off turnovers, and led the team with four assists. Wheeler had four points, three steals and two assists. Makaio scored all five of the team's bench points and added two steals and a block.
The shooting was almost even: Head-Royce made 16 of 39 shots (41 percent) and Piedmont made 12 of 30 (40 percent). Piedmont outrebounded Head-Royce 24-19 and made 9 of 10 free throws, but its 22 turnovers gave the Jayhawks nine more shots. Head-Royce committed 14 turnovers and won the points-off-turnovers battle 17-10. The Jayhawks also had more assists (10 to 4) and more second-chance points (7 to 4).
Head-Royce has now won two of its first three games this summer.