The Head-Royce girls varsity basketball team lost 30-23 at Athenian on Thursday, Feb. 5, falling to 3-15. The Jayhawks controlled the glass but could not overcome 31 turnovers and 19.6 percent shooting, and Athenian closed the game with an 8-1 finish after the score was tied at 22.
Abigail Kim opened the scoring with a basket on an assist from Loire Williams for a 2-0 lead, the largest Head-Royce lead of the night. Athenian answered with a 3-pointer and a two, both off turnovers, to go ahead 5-2. Kim kept the Jayhawks close with a second-chance basket set up by Emmy Mitchell and another two that made it 7-6, but Athenian then scored six straight points to take a 13-6 lead, its largest until the final minutes.
Head-Royce responded with a 7-0 run to tie the game. Kim scored on an assist from Ella Smith, Geneva Walker added a basket, Bella Spencer made a free throw and Kim tied it at 13 with another two. After an Athenian 3-pointer, Smith and Yaretzi Brown scored consecutive second-chance baskets to give the Jayhawks a 17-16 lead. Athenian regained the lead with a 3-pointer, and Smith tied it at 19 with a putback on an assist from Mitchell.
Athenian went back in front 22-19 with a free throw and a second-chance basket. Smith scored on the offensive glass again, and Kim's free throw tied the game at 22, the third tie of the night. Athenian then decided it with a 6-0 run on back-to-back 3-pointers, the first coming off a turnover, for a 28-22 lead. Kim made a free throw, and Athenian added a final basket to seal the 30-23 result.
Kim led Head-Royce with 12 points on 5-of-13 shooting, scoring more than half of the team's total, and added three rebounds. Smith had 6 points and a game-high 18 rebounds, six of them offensive, along with a block and an assist. Mitchell pulled down 14 rebounds off the bench, including five offensive, and added three blocks, two assists and a steal. Walker and Spencer combined for the Jayhawks' 3 bench points.
The rebounding numbers favored Head-Royce, which won the boards 56-34, held a 21-14 edge in offensive rebounds and outscored Athenian 10-6 in second-chance points. Ball security decided the game. Athenian forced 31 turnovers with 11 steals, scored 8 points off those turnovers and committed only 14 turnovers of its own. Both teams struggled from the floor, with Athenian shooting 19 percent (12 of 63), but Athenian made five 3-pointers while Head-Royce went 0 for 3 from long range and 3 for 11 at the free-throw line. Athenian's No. 5 led all scorers from long range with three 3-pointers for 9 points, and No. 1 added 6 points and 8 rebounds.
The loss split the season series with Athenian after Head-Royce won the first meeting 27-23 at home on Jan. 22. The Jayhawks are now 3-15.