OAKLAND, Calif. Arroyo's defensive pressure proved too much for Head-Royce on Tuesday, Jan. 6, as the visitors forced 48 turnovers and pulled away for a 52-28 win over the Jayhawks. Head-Royce fell to 1-8 on the season and has lost three straight games.
The game was tied only once. Alexa opened the scoring with a basket off a turnover, and Abigail Kim answered with a second-chance basket to make it 2-2. Arroyo then scored the next 18 points. Alexa had 12 of those points, and five of the nine Arroyo baskets in the run came off Head-Royce turnovers, pushing the lead to 20-2.
The Jayhawks responded with their best stretch of the first part of the game. Bella Spencer scored, and Ella Smith followed with a basket on an assist from Emmy Mitchell. After another Alexa basket, Kim hit a 3-pointer off a pass from Smith, and Yaretzi Brown scored on a feed from Mitchell to cut the deficit to 22-11. Arroyo answered with an 8-0 run that included a 3-pointer by MJ. Loire Williams scored off a Kim assist to make it 30-13, but Arroyo followed with a 9-0 run, capped by baskets from MJ, Alexis and Alexa, to go ahead 39-13.
Arroyo kept building its lead from there. Kai scored Arroyo's final six points, and the last of those baskets made it 52-19, the visitors' largest lead at 33 points. Head-Royce closed the game with a 9-0 run. Kara Waldrop made a free throw, Kim added two more, Smith scored twice (once off a turnover) and Kim finished the scoring with a second-chance basket.
Kim led Head-Royce with 15 points on 5-of-8 shooting, including 1 of 1 from 3-point range, and made 4 of 6 free throws. She also grabbed seven rebounds, four of them on the offensive glass. Smith posted 6 points, 11 rebounds and two assists. Waldrop pulled down eight rebounds, and Mitchell added six rebounds, three blocks and two assists. Osa Enabulele grabbed six rebounds. The bench combined for 6 points, with Williams, Spencer and Brown scoring 2 each.
The Jayhawks outshot Arroyo, making 33 percent of their shots (11 of 33) to Arroyo's 28 percent (24 of 85), and won the rebounding battle 49-34. Turnovers decided the game. Head-Royce committed 48 turnovers to Arroyo's 10, which let Arroyo attempt 85 shots to Head-Royce's 33, and Arroyo turned those takeaways into 25 points while Head-Royce scored 2 points off turnovers. The Jayhawks also went 5 of 11 at the free-throw line. Alexa led all scorers with 23 points on 11-of-23 shooting. MJ added 9 points and nine steals, Kayla had six steals, and Emma finished with six assists and five steals.
Head-Royce is now 1-8 on the season.