OAKLAND, Calif. Head-Royce turned a six-point deficit into a lead with a 10-0 run and then closed the game at the free-throw line, beating St. Joseph Notre Dame 57-52 on Thursday to improve to 10-9. The Jayhawks made 13 of 15 free throws, while the visitors made 4 of 14.
St. Joseph Notre Dame scored first, and Jack Peay answered with a 3-pointer as the teams traded the lead early. Tua Montoya scored on a feed from Ezra Goldfarb to put the Jayhawks ahead 9-8, then made three free throws. Baskets by Nick Taubes and Tucker Peay, plus two free throws from Sanjay Ernst, pushed the margin to 18-10. Loryan Boyette-Tindall scored on an assist from Sam Gulaid to make it 20-12, which tied Head-Royce's biggest lead of the game.
St. Joseph Notre Dame answered with a 7-0 run to pull within 20-19. Taubes scored the next five points with a basket and a 3-pointer for a 25-20 edge, but the visitors then scored eight straight, three of them on free throws, to go up 28-25. Montoya scored on back-to-back possessions, the second off a turnover, to put Head-Royce back in front at 31-30. St. Joseph Notre Dame then ran off seven straight points, capped by a 3-pointer, and led 37-31, its largest lead of the game. The game had five lead changes and three ties.
Head-Royce answered with the decisive run. Taubes started it with a basket, and Jack Peay added a free throw. Montoya hit a 3-pointer on a pass from Boyette-Tindall to tie the game at 37. Taubes then scored off a turnover on an assist from Montoya, and Montoya scored off another turnover on a feed from Taubes for a 41-37 lead. The Jayhawks never trailed again. Gulaid added a second-chance basket, and Taubes hit a 3-pointer from Montoya to make it 48-41. St. Joseph Notre Dame got within three points three times, and each time Peay answered with two free throws, making six straight to account for the final 53-48, 55-50 and 57-52 margins.
Taubes led Head-Royce with 16 points on 7-of-14 shooting, including two 3-pointers, and added six assists and a steal. Montoya, a freshman, scored 15 points, went 4 for 5 at the line and had five steals and three assists. Jack Peay finished with 14 points, 7-of-8 free throw shooting and six rebounds. Gulaid made his mark off the bench with four points, four rebounds, three steals and five blocks, and Tucker Peay added four points and five rebounds.
Head-Royce shot 42.6 percent (20 of 47) and assisted on 16 of its 20 field goals. The Jayhawks forced 13 turnovers with 13 steals and held an 8-4 edge in points off turnovers. St. Joseph Notre Dame shot 39.6 percent and won the rebounding battle 31-21, including 14 offensive boards, but turned those into only six second-chance points. Head-Royce also blocked six shots and got eight points from its bench.
Head-Royce (10-9) returns to action when it hosts Bentley on Wednesday, Feb. 11.