PROVO, Utah - After trailing by as much as 13 points in the first half, No. 7 BYU came to life in the second half as they improved to 3-0 on the season with a 85-68 victory over Delaware on Tuesday evening.
“I told the guys every game has a life of its own and so you have to find what buttons to push from a coaching standpoint and a players standpoint,” head coach Kevin Young said. “I think our guys did that.”
Robert Wright III filled the statsheet for the Cougars as the sophomore scored a career-high 26 points going 4-of-7 from 3-point range. He also had a career-high nine rebounds, five of those coming on the offensive glass, to go along with nine assists.
BYU transfer Robert Wright III put up a game-high tonight:
— B/R Hoops (@brhoops) November 12, 2025
26 PTS | 9 AST | 9 REB | 9-17 FG | 4-7 3PT pic.twitter.com/2ZUXk4BIZN
Richie Saunders came alive in the second half, scoring 20 of his season-high 26 points while pulling down 10 rebounds for his second career double-double. After going 0-of-3 from beyond the arc in the first half, Saunders went 6-of-8 in the second half.
AJ Dybantsa was the only other Cougar to score in double figures as the freshman finished with 18 points, seven rebounds and two assists.
BYU shot 45.5 percent from the field, 37.5 percent from three and 86.7 percent from the free throw line in the Cougars 22nd straight non-conference win at the Marriott Center. They also turned 19 offensive rebounds into 23 second chance points.
First Half
Delaware opened the contest with an immediate score off the tip, which started a 10-0 run. The Cougars would get on the board off of a drive and floater from Wright III and followed his bucket up with tight defense. Wright would later find Keba Keita for an alley-oop over top of a Delaware defender making it 13-4 in favor of the visitors.
The Cougars put together an 8-2 run kick started by a Saunders reverse layup. Dybantsa got on the board with his first points off of a second chance layup and later an and-one layup at the 10-minute mark. Wright III would also score off of a drive, establishing BYU’s consistent presence in the paint.
BYU continued to work the interior with back-to-back buckets from Keita, including a put back dunk and layup off an alley oop from Saunders. Saunders and Dybantsa also laid in buckets off the glass, tightening the margin 23-31.
A 7-3 run moved the Cougars within four before a Blue Hen’s timeout. Wright hit BYU’s first three of the game with just under three minutes left in the half and put in another layup off of a drive from past the arc.
Keita secured his first block of the game which led to a quick transition to the other end of the floor for the Cougars. Saunders was fouled on a shot in the finals seconds of the half and hit two free throws, moving BYU within three heading into the half, 37-34.
Second Half
BYU opened the half with 3-pointers from Dybantsa, Saunders and Wright III.
The Cougars took their first lead of the game just over five minutes into the half off of another Saunders triple. Wrigh IIIt would add another three of his own to help BYU retake the lead 51-50 and force a Blue Hen timeout.
Momentum swung BYU’s way after Saunders connected on two more 3-pointers, stretching the Cougars lead 61-52 and forcing another Delaware timeout.
Following the timeout, Wright III hit another 3-pointer tying his career high in points at 24 and would hit two free throws moving him to 26 points on the night. Saunders led the Cougars on the defensive end with a block which led to a Dybantsa fast break and one-handed jam. On the Cougar’s next possession, Dybantsa threw down another dunk off of a missed three, extending BYU’s lead 70-57.
Dybantsa... full flight!!!!
— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) November 12, 2025
AJ Dybantsa throws it down in transition 😮💨 @BYUMBB pic.twitter.com/O1lGHWxAsk
Saunders would knock down two more 3-pointers before the final whistle to tie his career-high with six 3-pointers.
Up Next
BYU travels to TD Garden in Boston to take on the No. 3-ranked UConn Huskies in a top-10 matchup Saturday. Tip is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET on FOX.