PROVO, Utah — Behind a trio of 20-point performances from Richie Saunders, AJ Dybantsa and Robert Wright III, BYU earned a 93-57 win over Pacific Tuesday night at the Marriott Center.
BYU took control early, building a 41-20 halftime lead after forcing 12 first-half turnovers, then outscored the Tigers 52-37 after the break. Wright III, Dybantsa and Saunders led the way throughout the second half as the Cougars continued to extend the margin.
Saunders led BYU with 24 points, finishing 5-of-7 from the field and 11-of-12 at the free-throw line. The Riverton native added four rebounds and three assists while helping steady BYU during Pacific’s brief second-half run.
Dybantsa followed with 23 points and recorded the first double-double of his career with 10 rebounds. The freshman went 8-of-14 from the field and added two assists while scoring in transition and from the perimeter.
Wright III wasn’t far behind, finishing with 22 points on 8-of-16 shooting. He tallied five rebounds and four assists, scoring from all three levels and helping fuel multiple BYU runs in the second half.
The Cougars shot 46.8 percent from the field, knocked down 11 three-pointers and held Pacific to 39.1 percent shooting. BYU also held advantages in rebounding (42-32), points off turnovers (25-9) and fast-break points (26-11), while Pacific went 0-for-3 from the free-throw line.
First Half
Pacific won the opening tip, but BYU’s defense set the tone early, forcing turnovers and holding the Tigers scoreless for nearly the first six minutes. Wright III opened the scoring with a coast-to-coast layup off a takeaway, and after a 10-second violation on Pacific, Dybantsa drove through traffic for his first points of the night.
The Cougars continued to push the pace as Kennard Davis Jr. finished at the rim in transition, and Dybantsa added a putback in the paint after tracking down his own miss. Saunders drilled a 3-pointer from the right wing, and Dybantsa drew contact on a jumper, knocking down both free throws to extend the Cougars’ lead to 13-6 with 11:51 remaining.
Pacific briefly responded with a layup and a pair of midrange looks, but BYU answered with another burst. Saunders found Keba Keita on a save play under the basket, and Wright III set up Mrus for back-to-back 3-pointers to make it 22-10. Boskovic came up with a highlight block at the rim, and a jump ball kept possession with the Cougars as they continued to control the tempo.
BYU closed the half with a decisive 12-2 run over the final five minutes, fueled by steals and transition offense. Saunders and Dybantsa connected for a fast-break dunk, Saunders drew contact and converted at the line, and Dybantsa scored on consecutive step-back jumpers before sinking two more free throws with 32.8 seconds left. Wright III capped the half with another layup off a turnover as BYU went into the break up 41-20.
nice and easy @AJ_Dybantsa
— BYU Men's Basketball (@BYUMBB) December 17, 2025
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Through the opening 20 minutes, BYU forced 12 Pacific turnovers and converted them into 17 points, recording 11 steals while holding the Tigers without a 3-point make. Dybantsa and Saunders combined for 25 first-half points, accounting for 15 of BYU’s final 21 points as the Cougars controlled both the glass and the pace.