OAKLAND, Calif. Head-Royce scored the game's final five points and beat Athenian 27-23 on Thursday to improve to 2-11. The free throw line decided a game in which both teams shot 10 of 46 from the field. The Jayhawks made 6 of 14 free throws, while Athenian made 2 of 12, and that gap matched the final margin.
The game had six lead changes and three ties. Athenian scored first on a free throw before Abigail Kim answered with a basket off a Kara Waldrop assist for a 2-1 lead. Ella Smith scored twice inside to keep Head-Royce close, and Kim's 3-pointer, set up by Missgana B., put the Jayhawks ahead 9-8. Athenian answered with five straight points, including a second-chance 3-pointer, to lead 13-9. Free throws by Missgana B. and Geneva Walker cut the gap, but Athenian still led 15-11.
Head-Royce then went on a 9-0 run. Waldrop started it with a second-chance basket, and Smith tied the game at 15 on a feed from Kim. Kim scored the next five points herself. Her basket off an Emmy Mitchell assist gave Head-Royce a 17-15 lead, and a second-chance basket and a free throw pushed the lead to 20-15, the Jayhawks' largest of the game.
Athenian answered with a 6-0 run, scoring three straight second-chance baskets to lead 21-20. Mitchell made two free throws, the first to tie the game and the second to put Head-Royce back in front at 22-21. Athenian regained the lead at 23-22 on another second-chance basket, but it did not score again. Osa Enabulele tied the game at 23 with a free throw, Smith scored on an assist from Kim to make it 25-23, and Enabulele finished the scoring with a basket off a Mitchell assist.
Kim led Head-Royce with 10 points, seven rebounds, three assists and three steals. Smith added eight points on 4-of-11 shooting with three rebounds and two blocks, and she scored the go-ahead basket. Mitchell had two points, six rebounds, three steals, three blocks and two assists. Off the bench, Enabulele had three points, four rebounds and two steals, and Loire Williams grabbed five rebounds. Waldrop finished with two points, four rebounds and an assist.
The Jayhawks' defense forced 23 turnovers, with 12 steals and five blocks. Head-Royce committed 22 turnovers of its own and did not score any points off Athenian's turnovers. Athenian won the rebounding battle 43-33, including 15 offensive rebounds, and outscored Head-Royce 13-4 in second-chance points. The Head-Royce bench scored five points. For Athenian, No. 5 scored nine points on 4-of-20 shooting, including 1 of 12 from 3-point range. No. 21 had 11 rebounds and No. 1 had nine.
The win was the second of the season for Head-Royce, which is now 2-11.