Head-Royce committed 30 turnovers and made 6 of 21 free throws in a 36-31 loss at Bentley on Wednesday, Jan. 21. The Jayhawks fell to 1-11 and have lost six straight.
Head-Royce opened with a 6-0 run. Abigail Kim hit a 3-pointer on a feed from Emmy Mitchell, Ella Smith made a free throw, and Kim scored again on another Mitchell assist. After a Bentley basket off a turnover, Osa Enabulele scored a second-chance basket and Smith scored off a turnover for a 10-2 lead, the Jayhawks' largest of the night.
Bentley answered with an 8-0 run to tie the game at 10, and the teams traded baskets from there. The game was tied five times. Yaretzi Brown and Smith gave Head-Royce leads at 12-10 and 14-12, and after Bentley went ahead 16-14, a Smith basket and a second-chance basket by Kara Waldrop tied it at 16 and again at 18. A Bentley free throw made it 19-18 before Smith scored on an assist from Mitchell to put the Jayhawks back in front at 20-19. It was their last lead.
The game turned on Bentley's second 8-0 run. Miri scored off a turnover, added another basket and made two free throws, and Enijah followed with a second-chance basket for a 27-20 lead. After a Smith free throw, Amrin scored off a turnover to make it 30-21, Bentley's largest lead of the game.
Head-Royce kept coming. Free throws by Brown, Smith and Kim cut the deficit to 30-24. After another Miri second-chance basket, Kim scored on an assist from Smith. Smith then made a free throw, Mitchell scored a second-chance basket and Smith finished a steal with a layup to pull the Jayhawks within 33-31. Bentley closed it out with a basket by Enijah and a free throw by Marley.
Smith posted a double-double with 14 points, 14 rebounds and five steals. She made 5 of 13 shots from the field and 4 of 15 at the line. Kim added eight points, four rebounds and two assists. Mitchell scored two points and added eight rebounds, three assists, three blocks and two steals. Brown scored three points, Enabulele had two, and Waldrop scored two off the bench with four rebounds, three of them offensive.
Head-Royce shot 29 percent (12 of 41) from the field and 1 of 7 from 3-point range. Bentley shot only 25 percent (15 of 60), but the Jayhawks could not make up for their turnovers, and Bentley finished with 14 steals. Head-Royce outrebounded Bentley 45-43, but Bentley grabbed 21 offensive rebounds and outscored the Jayhawks 10-6 on second-chance points. Miri led Bentley with nine points and eight rebounds, Marley had eight points, seven assists and five steals, and Enijah pulled down 10 rebounds.
The loss dropped Head-Royce to 1-11 on the season.