OAKLAND, Calif. Head-Royce opened the 2025-26 season with a 60-42 win over San Domenico JV on Saturday, Nov. 15. The Jayhawks improved to 1-0 by forcing 35 turnovers, which they turned into 27 points.
Head-Royce scored first. LoRyan Boyette-Tindall put back a miss and Azaan Zaka added a free throw for a 3-0 lead. San Domenico answered with an 8-0 run and led 8-3, its largest lead of the game. The Jayhawks then scored 10 straight points to take control. Boyette-Tindall hit a jumper, and Makaio Popp scored the next eight: a 3-pointer that tied the game at 8, a basket off a turnover that put Head-Royce ahead for good and another 3-pointer that made it 13-8. Boyette-Tindall assisted on all three of Popp's baskets.
Head-Royce led 20-14 before another 7-0 run. Boyette-Tindall scored a basket and then hit a 3-pointer off a turnover, and Popp finished a feed from Kian Patel to make it 27-14. San Domenico cut the lead to 30-23, but PJ Nappali scored off a turnover, Zaka converted a steal on an assist from Jayan Shah and Nappali hit a 3-pointer off a turnover to push the lead to 39-26.
San Domenico scored the next five points to get within 39-31. Head-Royce answered with a 7-0 run. Boyette-Tindall scored off a turnover, Shah made two free throws and Patel hit a 3-pointer off a turnover to make it 46-31. Nappali followed with a second-chance 3-pointer and a putback. Late in the game, Boyette-Tindall and Shah each scored off turnovers, Nappali hit his third 3-pointer and Boyette-Tindall's basket off another turnover made it 60-41, Head-Royce's largest lead at 19. San Domenico closed the scoring with a free throw.
Boyette-Tindall led Head-Royce with 17 points on 8-of-17 shooting, along with a game-high 10 steals, nine assists and six rebounds. Nappali scored 16 points and hit 3 of 7 from 3-point range to go with six rebounds and four steals. Thirteen of his points came after Head-Royce led 32-25. Popp also scored 16 points and shot 7 of 10 from the field, and all 16 of his points came before the Jayhawks reached 30. John Wheeler had four steals and four rebounds, and Shah scored all four of Head-Royce's bench points.
Head-Royce finished with 23 steals and outscored San Domenico 27-6 in points off turnovers. The Jayhawks shot 38.7 percent (24 of 62) from the field and had 14 assists to San Domenico's six. San Domenico outrebounded Head-Royce 36-25, but it shot 35.6 percent from the field, went 3 of 20 from 3-point range and made 7 of 15 free throws. Head-Royce scored nine second-chance points to San Domenico's six.
Head-Royce (1-0) returns to action at home against Antioch JV on Saturday, Dec. 13.