OAKLAND, Calif. San Ramon Valley shot 48.3 percent from the field and never trailed Tuesday, handing Head-Royce a 76-55 loss. The Jayhawks fell to 4-3. They shot 34.5 percent and never got closer than 11 points after San Ramon Valley pulled away early.
Head-Royce kept pace at the start. San Ramon Valley scored the first four points, and Nick Taubes answered with a 3-pointer off a turnover. After a San Ramon Valley three, Tua Montoya hit a 3-pointer of his own off a turnover to make it 7-6. Tucker Peay assisted on both threes. San Ramon Valley then scored seven straight points to lead 14-6. Idan Benharush scored for Head-Royce, and San Ramon Valley followed with a 10-0 run, including back-to-back 3-pointers off turnovers, to go up 24-8.
Jack Peay ended that run with a second-chance 3-pointer on an assist from Loryan Boyette-Tindall, but San Ramon Valley pushed the lead to 31-11. Benharush then scored six points in a short stretch, four of them off turnovers, and Head-Royce began to chip away behind Taubes and Jack Peay. Montoya's second 3-pointer cut the deficit to 44-32, and a Jack Peay free throw made it 44-33.
The Jayhawks got within 11 again later. Jack Peay scored eight straight Head-Royce points on two field goals and four free throws, cutting the deficit to 56-45. San Ramon Valley answered with a 3-pointer, and after a Tucker Peay free throw, it scored eight straight points to build its largest lead at 67-46. Head-Royce answered with an 8-0 run. Tucker Peay hit a 3-pointer, Sanjay Ernst scored a second-chance basket on a feed from Tucker Peay, and Taubes made a 3-pointer on another Tucker Peay assist to make it 67-54. San Ramon Valley closed the game on a 9-1 run.
Jack Peay led Head-Royce with 19 points on 6-of-13 shooting, making 6 of 8 free throws and grabbing eight rebounds, four of them offensive. He scored all 19 of the Jayhawks' bench points. Taubes added 13 points on 3-of-5 shooting from 3-point range, along with four assists and two steals. Tucker Peay had 11 rebounds, five assists and six points. Benharush scored eight points and grabbed five rebounds, and Montoya added seven points.
Head-Royce won the rebounding battle 32-31 and had more assists, 15 to 11, but its shooting from outside kept it from closing the gap. The Jayhawks made 7 of 26 3-point attempts, while San Ramon Valley made 9 of 21. San Ramon Valley scored 17 points off 15 Head-Royce turnovers, and the Jayhawks scored 12 points off the 14 turnovers they forced. San Ramon Valley also had a 10-9 edge in second-chance points.
Head-Royce (4-3) returns to action Friday, Jan. 16, when it hosts College Prep.