OAKLAND, Calif. The Head-Royce boys junior varsity team lost 35-25 to Piedmont Hills on Sunday afternoon. The Jayhawks led by five points in the first half, but Piedmont Hills answered with a 17-0 run that settled the game. Head-Royce fell to 2-2 this summer.
Piedmont Hills opened the scoring with two free throws. PJ answered with a second-chance 3-pointer, set up by Owen, for a 3-2 Head-Royce lead. John Wheeler added a 3-pointer, also assisted by Owen, to make it 6-4. The first half stayed close, with six lead changes and four ties. Clayton came off the bench and hit a 3-pointer on a pass from PJ to put the Jayhawks back in front 11-10. He then made two free throws for a 13-10 lead, and a free throw by Jayan made it 14-11.
Piedmont Hills took a 15-14 lead on a basket off a turnover. Head-Royce answered right away. Jayan scored inside, and PJ added a second-chance basket for an 18-15 lead. After a Piedmont Hills 3-pointer tied the game at 18, Jayan hit a 3-pointer on a feed from LeAdagio. LoRyan then scored off a turnover to give the Jayhawks a 23-18 lead, their largest of the game.
Piedmont Hills took over from there. The visitors scored a basket, a free throw and a basket off a turnover to tie the game at 23, then hit a 3-pointer for a 26-23 lead. Two free throws, another basket off a turnover, a 3-pointer and one more basket off a turnover followed, and Piedmont Hills led 35-23. That was its largest lead, 12 points. Clayton ended the run with a second-chance basket, assisted by LeAdagio, to make it 35-25 at halftime. Neither team scored in the second half.
PJ and Clayton led Head-Royce with 7 points each. PJ made 3 of 6 shots and had a team-high 7 rebounds, three of them offensive, plus an assist and a steal. Clayton scored all of the bench's 7 points on 2-of-4 shooting, including a 3-pointer, and made both of his free throws. He also had two steals. Jayan added 6 points and 4 rebounds. LeAdagio grabbed 6 rebounds and had two assists, and Owen also had two assists. LoRyan had two steals and a block.
Turnovers decided the game. Head-Royce committed 20 turnovers, and Piedmont Hills had 13 steals and scored 8 points off turnovers, including four baskets after Jayhawks turnovers. Head-Royce forced 12 turnovers but scored only 2 points off them. The Jayhawks outrebounded Piedmont Hills 23-16, grabbed seven offensive rebounds and scored 7 second-chance points, while the visitors had none. Head-Royce shot 27.3 percent (9 of 33), including 4 of 15 from 3-point range. Piedmont Hills shot 34.3 percent (12 of 35) and made all eight of its free throws. Head-Royce made all three of its free throw attempts.
The loss was the Jayhawks' first after a 2-1 start, and their record is now 2-2 this summer.