OAKLAND, Calif. Head-Royce led from the opening basket and held off a late San Lorenzo rally to win 66-64 on Saturday and even its record at 1-1. The Jayhawks forced 19 turnovers and got a team-high 21 points from freshman Idan Benharush. They built a lead as large as 16 points and never trailed.
Benharush opened the scoring with a 3-pointer on a feed from Tucker Peay, and the game was never tied. San Lorenzo stayed close early and pulled within 12-11 and 17-14. Tua Montoya answered with a 3-pointer, and Sanjay Ernst followed with a 3-pointer off a turnover, a 6-0 run that made it 23-14. A second Montoya 3-pointer pushed the lead to 33-21.
San Lorenzo cut into the lead with a 7-0 run that trimmed a 37-27 deficit to 37-34. Head-Royce responded with an 8-0 run. Benharush hit a 3-pointer, Montoya scored off a turnover and added a free throw, and Benharush scored a second-chance basket to make it 45-34. Nick Taubes later scored eight straight Head-Royce points on a basket off a turnover and two 3-pointers, stretching the lead to 56-43. Second-chance baskets by Sam Gulaid and Ernst made it 60-44, the Jayhawks' largest lead of the game.
Benharush hit another 3-pointer and then scored a second-chance basket on an assist from Peay to put Head-Royce ahead 65-52. San Lorenzo then scored 12 straight points on five field goals, three of them second-chance baskets, and two free throws to pull within 65-64. Ezra Goldfarb made a free throw for the final margin.
Benharush shot 8-of-15 from the field, including 3-of-8 from 3-point range, and grabbed four rebounds. Taubes added 16 points on 7-of-17 shooting with two steals and a block. Peay nearly had a triple-double with six points, 10 rebounds, seven assists, three steals and two blocks. Montoya scored nine points and had four assists. The bench scored 14 points: Ernst and Gulaid had five each, and Goldfarb added four points and three steals.
The Jayhawks' defense made the difference. Head-Royce had 12 steals and outscored San Lorenzo 13-7 in points off turnovers. The Jayhawks also moved the ball well, with assists on 19 of their 26 field goals. Head-Royce shot 39.4 percent from the field and 10-of-39 from 3-point range, while San Lorenzo shot 35 percent. San Lorenzo stayed in the game on the glass and at the line. The visitors won the rebounding battle 36-27, with 15 offensive rebounds, and outscored Head-Royce 16-10 in second-chance points. San Lorenzo also made 16-of-26 free throws, while Head-Royce went 4-of-6, and the Jayhawks were called for 21 fouls to San Lorenzo's 11.
Head-Royce (1-1) returns to action at home against College Prep on Friday, Jan. 16.