OAKLAND, Calif. Head-Royce outrebounded Leadership Hayward 48-25 and turned 23 offensive rebounds into 20 second-chance points, then answered a late tie with a pair of 3-pointers to beat the visitors 77-73 on Saturday. The Jayhawks never trailed, won their second straight game and improved to 8-7 on the season.
Head-Royce set the tone on the offensive glass from the start. Tucker Peay and Idan Benharush opened the game with three straight putbacks for a 6-0 lead, and Benharush added another second-chance basket to make it 8-1. Leadership Hayward stayed close with its outside shooting and pulled within 18-16 and 23-21, but it never drew even. Tucker Peay hit two 3-pointers, one set up by Nick Taubes and one by Tua Montoya, to help push the lead to 41-35.
Gulaid scored on consecutive second-chance baskets to make it 49-40 before Leadership Hayward put together a 7-0 run, capped by a 3-pointer, to cut the margin to 49-47. Head-Royce answered with an 8-0 run of its own. Tucker Peay scored on back-to-back putbacks, the first on a feed from Gulaid, Gulaid converted a turnover into a basket on an assist from Ezra Goldfarb, and Taubes scored to make it 57-47. Jack Peay then hit a 3-pointer from Montoya for a 60-49 lead, the largest of the game at 11 points.
The Jayhawks still led 68-58 after baskets by Jack Peay and Goldfarb, and Silva hit a 3-pointer from Sanjay Ernst to make it 71-63. Leadership Hayward scored the next eight points on two straight 3-pointers and two free throws, tying the game at 71-71 for the only tie of the afternoon. Gulaid put Head-Royce back in front with a 3-pointer on a pass from Taubes. After Leadership Hayward scored to make it 74-73, Silva hit another 3-pointer, this one assisted by Gulaid, to close the scoring at 77-73.
Tucker Peay led Head-Royce with 16 points and 11 rebounds, seven of them offensive, and made 7 of 13 shots. Gulaid added a double-double off the bench with 13 points and 10 rebounds, going 6 of 8 from the field with three steals and two assists. Taubes scored 10 points with four assists, two steals and two blocks. Benharush had nine points and five rebounds, Silva scored eight points on 3-of-3 shooting, including 2 of 2 from 3-point range, and Jack Peay finished with seven points and seven rebounds. Montoya handed out a team-high five assists.
Leadership Hayward shot 47.2 percent from the field and made 12 of 24 3-pointers, but it managed only six offensive rebounds and five second-chance points. Head-Royce shot 44 percent, forced 11 turnovers with nine steals and got 29 points from its bench. The Jayhawks also finished with 15 assists against nine turnovers.
Head-Royce (8-7) returns to action at home against St. Joseph Notre Dame on Thursday, Jan. 29.