PROVO, Utah - No. 7 BYU concludes its two-game home stand on Tuesday when the Cougars host Delaware in their first-ever meeting. Tip is scheduled for 7 p.m. MT at the Marriott Center in Provo.
WHERE TO WATCH Tuesday's game will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network with Rich Waltz, Dan Dickau and Jordan Giorgio on the call.
GET IN LINE Tuesday will be the first all-time meeting between the two schools with Delaware being the second of four new opponents for the Cougars this season. They had never played Holy Cross prior to Saturday's victory and are scheduled to face Cal Baptist (Dec. 3) and Abilene Christian (Dec. 19).
HOLY MOLY Five Cougars scored in double figures as BYU picked up its second win of the season on Saturday with a 98-53 victory over Holy Cross in front of 17,918 fans at the Marriott Center.
The Cougars scored the opening 10 points of the game and never looked back as they led by 33 at halftime. Richie Saunders scored a season-high 20 points as the senior went 7-of-10 from the field, 2-of-4 from three and 4-of-5 from the free throw line. It was the sixth time that Saunders has scored 20-plus at home during his four-year collegiate career.
AJ Dybantsa filled the stat sheet with 17 points, eight rebounds, three assists and a block. Like Saunders, the freshman was 7-of-10 from the field and made all three of his free throws after going 2-of-7 from the charity stripe in the season opener against Villanova. Robert Wright III (15), Kennard Davis Jr. (12) and Dawson Baker (12) were also in double figures for the Cougars as they won their 21st non-conference home game.
The Cougars shot 61.9 percent from the field, marking the first time they shot over 60.0 percent in a game since defeating Texas 84-72 on Jan. 27, 2024. They also knocked down a season-high seven 3-pointers while going 13-of-16 from the free throw line.
MR. STEAL THE BALL With 12 steals on Saturday, BYU improved to 57-9 since the beginning of the 2000-01 season when recording 12 or more steals including a perfect 5-0 record under Kevin Young.
Saunders and Keba Keita had career-high performances against the Crusaders finishing with four and three steals respectively.
In fact, Saunders now has 96 steals for BYU career, six away from tying Justin Weidauer (1991-92, 95-98) for the 20th most in program history.
GET AHEAD, STAY AHEAD BYU's 46-point lead with 6:35 remaining in regulation was the second-largest lead for the Cougars under Kevin Young as they held a 47-point lead over Queens late in the second half of Young's third-ever collegiate game.
Saturday was also the 11th time under Young that BYU did not trail as they led for 39:37 of the 40 minutes after Kennard Davis Jr. scored on the Cougars first possession of the game. Under Young, BYU has held a lead in all but two games which came against Houston last season.
THE NEW KID ON THE BLOCK AJ Dybantsa is one of two freshmen in the country so far this season that is averaging at least 19.0 points and 7.0 rebounds per game while shooting 55.0 percent for better from the field. Virginiaís Thijs De Ridder is the only other first-year player to meet the criteria.
The 6-foot-9 forward followed up his 21-point performance on opening night with an efficient 17 points going 7-of-10 from the field. He also had a team-high eight rebounds and three assists in his second-ever collegiate game.
MAKING A NAME FOR HIMSELF With 20 points on Saturday, Richie Saunders moved up to a tie for 42nd on the all-time scoring list as the senior has scored 1,128 points in 105 games at BYU. With 10 points against Delaware on Tuesday, he would pass former Atlanta Hawks teammate of Dan Dickau and current Senior Associate Athletic Director-Revenue Sharing and NIL Travis Hansen for 41st on the all-time list.
Saunders also went 2-of-4 from 3-point range against the Crusaders, giving him 144 for his career breaking a tie with former teammate Jaxson Robinson for the 14th most makes from beyond the arc in program history. His next target is current BYU head womenís basketball coach Lee Cummard, who made 153 triples.
YOU'LL SHOOT YOUR EYE OUT According to Opta StatsPass, BYU is now 33-1 since the beginning of the 2000-01 when shooting over 60.0 percent from the field. They have won 30 straight games when shooting the lights out with the lone loss coming at Utah State on Dec. 23, 2003.
The margin of victory in those games is 25.8 points including a 57-point victory over Eastern Washington on Dec. 19, 2009, a school they are scheduled to play in their final non-conference game on December 22.
