OAKLAND, Calif. Head-Royce's defense set the tone from the opening possession, and the Jayhawks never let go of it in a 65-33 win over Vallejo on Saturday. Head-Royce forced 25 turnovers, recorded 20 steals and outscored the visitors 21-0 in points off turnovers to improve to 4-2 and win its second straight game.
The Jayhawks led wire to wire, with no ties or lead changes. Nick Taubes opened the scoring with a 3-pointer off an Idan Benharush assist, and Benharush followed with a 3-pointer and a layup, both off Vallejo turnovers, for an 8-0 start. After Vallejo closed to 11-5 on a 3-pointer, Head-Royce answered with a 9-0 run. Taubes scored on a putback, Tucker Peay converted two straight baskets off turnovers, and Peay capped the burst with a 3-pointer from Tua Montoya to make it 20-5.
Vallejo kept attacking the offensive glass, but Head-Royce kept adding to the margin. Leading 30-16, the Jayhawks got consecutive baskets from Montoya, Sanjay Ernst, Taubes and Sam Gulaid, the last one off a turnover, for an 8-0 run that pushed the lead to 38-16. Vallejo scored five straight points to get within 38-21, and Head-Royce responded with another 8-0 spurt. Taubes hit a 3-pointer, Ezra Goldfarb buried a second-chance 3-pointer, and Taubes finished a steal with a layup to make it 46-21.
Montoya took over from there. The freshman point guard hit three 3-pointers in a span of four Head-Royce field goals, and after a second-chance 3-pointer by Taubes made it 60-30, Montoya added a basket and two free throws for a 64-30 lead, the largest of the game at 34 points. He scored 13 of the Jayhawks' final 19 points, and Gulaid closed the scoring with a free throw.
Montoya finished with a game-high 18 points on 5-of-12 shooting, including 3 of 9 from 3-point range, and went 5 for 6 at the line with three assists and no turnovers. Taubes added 15 points with three 3-pointers, four rebounds and four steals, also without a turnover. Benharush contributed nine points, six rebounds and three assists. Peay filled the stat sheet with seven points, a team-high 10 rebounds, four steals and three blocks. Off the bench, Ernst grabbed seven rebounds, six on the offensive end, and had four steals, while Goldfarb scored five points with three steals.
Vallejo won the rebounding battle 44-37 and grabbed 22 offensive boards, but it shot 24 percent from the field (12 of 50) and made just 1 of 13 attempts from 3-point range. Head-Royce shot 35.8 percent (24 of 67), hit nine 3-pointers, dished 14 assists against 12 turnovers and got 13 points from its bench.
Head-Royce (4-2) returns to action when it hosts College Prep on Friday, Jan. 16.