BOULDER, Colo. – BYU was able to end its Big 12 road struggles on Tuesday evening as the Cougars beat Colorado 83-67 in Boulder, Colo.
After a back-and-forth first half that saw both teams go on double-digit runs, BYU opened the second half on a 23-2 run before Colorado scored its first basket. Richie Saunders scored five of his game-high 25 points during the run as BYU picked up its first road win under first-year head coach Kevin Young. Egor Demin finished with seven assists, all of them coming after halftime.
The Cougars shot a season-high 58.5 percent from the field, including 45.8 percent from beyond the arc. Trevin Knell went 4-of-6 from three, marking the 31st time the senior has knocked down three or more triples in a game.
Cougar Nation is the best 🤙 pic.twitter.com/vyLv0f4cP8
— BYU Men's Basketball (@BYUMBB) January 22, 2025
First Half
The game began with tight defensive efforts on both sides. Saunders was the first to get on the board for the Cougars followed quickly by a layup from Demin.
BYU was held scoreless for the next three minutes. With 15:35 left, Colorado picked up a contact technical foul that helped to kickstart a Cougar run. A free throw from Knell sparked a 6-0 run, with points coming from Demin and capped it off with a three from Knell, putting the visitors up 10-6.
The teams battled back and forth with BYU hanging on to the lead until 7:52 left in the half when the Buffaloes converted a layup to give them a 23-22 lead. They would stretch the lead to 10, 32-22, as part of a 10-0 run.
Saunders scored seven straight points for the Cougars to spearhead an 11-0 run for the Cougars. Mawot Mag finished the run with an old-fashioned 3-point play to help the Cougars retake the lead, 33-32.
BYU scored five of the final seven points of the first half, including a Dawson Baker 3-pointer, as they forced seven straight misses from Colorado to lead 38-36.