OAKLAND, Calif. Head-Royce built a 13-point lead against Lick-Wilmerding on Monday, but the visitors closed the game on a 23-8 surge to hand the Jayhawks a 54-50 loss. The defeat dropped Head-Royce to 5-4 on the season.
The Jayhawks scored the first seven points. Idan Benharush opened with a basket, Nick Taubes added another and Benharush capped the 7-0 run with a second-chance 3-pointer off an assist from Loryan Boyette-Tindall. Lick-Wilmerding answered with six straight points to get within 7-6, but Taubes hit a 3-pointer, Ezra Goldfarb scored on a second-chance basket and Tua Montoya converted a basket off a turnover to push the margin to 14-6.
Lick-Wilmerding stayed within reach, pulling to 16-14 and 18-16, before Head-Royce put together its best stretch. Leading 25-21, the Jayhawks scored nine straight points. Tucker Peay hit a 3-pointer, Taubes added a basket and a free throw, and Benharush knocked down another second-chance 3-pointer to make it 34-21, the largest lead of the game. Head-Royce still led 42-31 after Jack Peay scored off a turnover.
The game turned from there. Lick-Wilmerding scored 10 unanswered points to cut the deficit to 42-41. Sanjay Ernst ended the run with a second-chance basket, and after Lick-Wilmerding pulled within 44-43, Taubes made two free throws and Montoya scored to restore a 48-43 cushion. Lick-Wilmerding then scored the next nine points. A free throw and a basket off a turnover made it 48-46, another basket produced the only tie of the game at 48, and a second-chance basket gave the visitors their first lead at 50-48. Two free throws pushed the margin to 52-48. Montoya scored to bring Head-Royce within 52-50, but Lick-Wilmerding made two more free throws to close it out.
Taubes led Head-Royce with 16 points on 5-of-13 shooting, going 5-of-7 from the free throw line. He also grabbed eight rebounds with four steals and two blocks. Benharush added 10 points, and both of his 3-pointers came on second chances. Montoya scored six points with a team-high four assists, while Tucker Peay finished with five points, eight rebounds (three offensive) and three assists. Ernst gave the Jayhawks four points and five rebounds, three of them offensive, off the bench. The reserves combined for nine points.
Head-Royce controlled the glass, outrebounding Lick-Wilmerding 30-21 with a 10-2 edge on the offensive boards, and held a 12-2 advantage in second-chance points. Turnovers erased much of that edge. The Jayhawks committed 17, which Lick-Wilmerding turned into 11 points, while Head-Royce managed four points off 14 Lick-Wilmerding turnovers. Head-Royce shot 40 percent (20-of-50) from the field and 5-of-22 from 3-point range, while Lick-Wilmerding shot 44.7 percent. The visitors also made 10 of 13 free throws, including four in the final stretch, while the Jayhawks went 5-of-9.
Head-Royce (5-4) returns to action when it hosts College Prep on Friday, Jan. 16.