OAKLAND, Calif. Head-Royce forced 20 turnovers and held West Coast Fire to 2-of-15 shooting from 3-point range in a 52-42 win Monday at home. The victory was the third straight for the Jayhawks, who improved to 14-7 this summer.
West Coast Fire scored first on a free throw, and that 1-0 edge was its only lead of the game. Head-Royce answered with six straight points: a basket by Tua, a 3-pointer by Owen off a Tua assist and a free throw by Carlton made it 6-1. The Fire came back to tie the game at 8, the only tie of the night. The Jayhawks then scored five in a row. Tua scored off a turnover, and Carlton added a second-chance basket and a free throw to make it 13-8. Head-Royce never trailed again.
The Jayhawks pulled away in the middle stretch. Owen hit a 3-pointer off a turnover for a 16-12 lead, Jackson made a 3-pointer and Tua followed with a basket for 24-16. After a basket by Lo, Owen's second 3-pointer put Head-Royce up 29-18. West Coast Fire scored five straight to cut the lead to 31-26, but Tua ended that run. Carlton and Jackson then scored off turnovers on back-to-back possessions for a 37-28 lead. The Fire answered with a 3-pointer and a basket to get within 37-33.
Head-Royce put the game away with a 9-0 run. Tua hit a 3-pointer, Carlton added a basket and a free throw, and Tua made another 3-pointer for a 46-33 lead, the largest of the game. West Coast Fire scored the next five points to get within 46-38. Jackson and Carlton answered with baskets to make it 50-38, and Carlton's basket off a Tua assist gave the Jayhawks their final points.
Carlton had a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds. He made 7 of 12 shots from the field and had five steals. Tua also scored 17 points and led the team with six assists and three steals. His two 3-pointers came during the 9-0 run. Owen scored nine points on three 3-pointers, and Jackson had seven points, five rebounds (three offensive) and two assists. Lo added two points, four rebounds and two assists, and Makaio had three rebounds and two steals.
Head-Royce shot 37.5 percent (21-of-56), a little below West Coast Fire's 39.1 percent (18-of-46). The turnover gap made up the difference: the Jayhawks took 10 more shots than the Fire. Head-Royce made 13 steals and committed 10 turnovers, and it outscored West Coast Fire 9-4 in points off turnovers. The Jayhawks had 11 assists to the Fire's two and won the rebounding battle 31-29, with 10 offensive boards. West Coast Fire had a 6-2 edge in second-chance points. The Head-Royce starters scored all 52 points.
Head-Royce is now 14-7 and has won three games in a row.