No. 10 BYU returns home to host UC Riverside on Saturday

Saturday will be the Cougars' first game at the Marriott Center since November 11.

Author Tyson Jex
No. 10 BYU returns home to host UC Riverside on SaturdayNo. 10 BYU returns home to host UC Riverside on Saturday
Nate Edwards

PROVO, Utah - No. 10 BYU returns to the friendly confines of the Marriott Center for the first time in over a month on Saturday, Dec. 13, when the Cougars host UC Riverside in a non-conference matchup for the second consecutive season. Tip is scheduled for 7 p.m. MT.

WHERE TO WATCH
Saturday's game will be broadcast on ESPN+ with Dave McCann, Blaine Fowler and Spencer Linton on the call. 

LOOKING TO ADD TO THE WIN TOTAL
The Cougars are 2-0 all-time against UC Riverside, including an 86-80 victory last season when former Highlander and current Cougar Nate Pickens had 18 points, going 6-of-10 from the field, 3-of-4 from three and 3-of-5 from the free-throw line.  

 

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BETTER LUCK NEXT TIME
The Cougars enter Saturday's game with the Highlanders having won 22 straight non-conference games at the Marriott Center, including wins over Delaware and Holy Cross earlier this season. During the streak that dates back to December 2022, BYU is outscoring opponents 91.4-60.0 (a margin of 31.4 points/game), with only four of the games being decided by single digits. 

CARDIAC COUGS
BYU owns one of the top second-half offenses in the country as the Cougars have outscored opponents by a combined 115 second-half points through nine games. According to CBB Analytics, BYU ranks third in NET Rating (38.0), sixth in effective field goal percentage (63.1) and seventh in offensive ratio (137.2) over the final 20 minutes. Part of the Cougars' success in Tuesday's comeback victory was their effectiveness around the rim, as they were 12-of-16 in the paint in the second half after going 5-of-13 in the first half. 

DEFENSE WINS GAMES
With its 67-64 win over Clemson, BYU has now won 28 straight games, including 15 of those under Kevin Young, when holding opponents under 65 points. The Cougars' last set back came against Saint Mary's on Jan. 8, 2023 on a game-winning jumper from Aidan Mahaney. 

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HE IS WHO WE THOUGHT HE WAS
Following his career-high 28-point performance at The Garden, AJ Dybantsa has now scored 183 points in nine games as a Cougar, which is the same amount that Shawn Bradley scored in the first 10 games of his career. The 6-foot-9 forward needs 17 points on Saturday to become the second freshman in program history to score 200 or more points in their first 10 games, joining Danny Ainge, who scored 215 points. 

Speaking of scoring points in bunches, Dybantsa's four 20-point games are tied for the sixth-most by a freshman in program history. With 20 or more points on Saturday against UC Riverside, Dybantsa would become the first freshman with 20-plus in three straight games since Mark Bigelow did it against New Mexico (21), UTEP (20) and TCU (20). 

The preseason All-American is also one of two freshmen in Big 12 history to score 15 or more points in the first nine games of their careers, as Oklahoma's Trae Young did it in his first 26 games. 

JUST A RIM WRECKER
Keba Keita is one of five players in the nation who are averaging 2.0 blocks and 1.5 steals per game so far this season (min. 8 games played). He is joined on the list by a pair of Big 12 players in TCU's David Punch and Houston's Joseph Tugler. 

The senior is playing his best basketball of the season, averaging 16.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and 3.0 blocks over the past two games. He followed up his 23-point, 12-rebound double-double against Cal Baptist with 10 points, seven rebounds and three more blocks against Clemson. He now has three or more rejections four times this season.  

HAPPY LEARNED HOW TO PUTT
Robert Wright III went 3-of-5 from 3-point range, including the game-winner against Clemson, marking the seventh straight game the sophomore has knocked down multiple 3-pointers, the same amount of multiple 3-point games he had in 34 games at Baylor. 

After going 31-of-88 from behind the arc as a true freshman at Baylor in 2024-25, the Wilmington, Del. native is shooting a career-best 44.7 percent from behind the arc this season, with 28.9 percent of his attempts coming on above the break 3s.