OAKLAND, Calif. Head-Royce came back from a 10-point deficit and pulled away late to beat Athenian 71-61 on Friday, sweeping the season series and improving to 12-10. The Jayhawks turned the ball over only twice all game, and freshman Tucker Peay led the way off the bench with a team-high 22 points.
Athenian controlled the opening stretch. After Sam Gulaid's three, assisted by Peay, pulled Head-Royce within 7-6, Athenian answered with a 7-0 run for a 14-6 lead. The visitors went up by 10 four times, the last at 36-26. Head-Royce then went on an 8-0 run. Luke Silva hit a three, Nick Taubes scored off a turnover and Peay hit a three from Taubes to make it 36-34.
Athenian pushed the lead back to 40-34, but Peay's three and another basket off a turnover by Taubes cut it to 40-39. Gulaid's second-chance three, set up by Loryan Boyette-Tindall, tied the game at 42. Athenian scored again, and Taubes tied it at 44 with a second-chance basket.
Sophomore Sanjay Ernst then took over. His three off a turnover, assisted by Peay, gave Head-Royce its first lead of the night at 47-44, and his second-chance basket finished a 7-0 run. After an Athenian basket, Ernst hit another three from Taubes, Gulaid scored a second-chance basket and Peay made two free throws, a 7-0 run that made it 56-46. Ernst scored eight straight Head-Royce points in that stretch, and Athenian never tied the game or led again. The lead reached 14 at 66-52 on Silva's second three, assisted by Gulaid. Athenian scored five of the final six points to make the final 71-61.
Peay made 7 of 14 shots, including 2 of 5 from 3-point range, and went 6 for 9 at the line, adding five rebounds and four assists. Taubes, a junior, scored 18 points on 7-of-14 shooting with four assists and no turnovers. Gulaid finished with 11 points, six rebounds, three assists and two blocks. Ernst scored eight points on 3-of-4 shooting, and Silva made two 3-pointers for six points. Boyette-Tindall, a freshman, had seven steals, three assists and three rebounds to go with three points.
Ball security was the difference. Head-Royce forced nine turnovers and scored 11 points off them, while Athenian scored no points off turnovers. The Jayhawks shot 45 percent (23 of 51), made 10 of 26 3-pointers and assisted on 16 of their 23 field goals. Athenian shot 52 percent (21 of 40) and made all 15 of its free throws, but it hit only 4 of 15 from beyond the arc. Head-Royce grabbed 11 offensive rebounds and won second-chance points 9-5, and its bench outscored Athenian's by 35 points to none recorded, with Peay, Ernst and Boyette-Tindall leading the reserves.
Head-Royce, which beat Athenian 56-42 at home on Jan. 23, has won two straight. The Jayhawks (12-10) host Bentley on Wednesday, Feb. 11.