PROVO, Utah — With AJ Dybantsa scoring a career-high 35 points, No. 10 BYU pulled away in the second half to defeat the Wildcats 85-67 on Friday night at the Marriott Center.
Turnovers were a factor throughout, with the teams combining for 34. BYU did not take the lead until 8:15 remained in the first half. After taking a six-point lead into halftime, the Cougars got 21 second-half points from Dybantsa alongside a 65 percent shooting percentage to extend their advantage.
“They’re the sixth-best in the country on free throw turnover rates," head coach Kevin Young said. "I was disappointed, because everything that we said they were going to do, they did, and we took the bait in the first 10 minutes of the game. In the second 10 minutes of the game, I thought we had better ball toughness, but it was good. Iowa State’s going to do the same thing, Houston is going to do the same thing, so our guys got to get used to playing against that type of pressure. You have to give them all the credit, they were good with that.”
Dybantsa finished with 35 points on 9-of-12 shooting to go along with six rebounds, four assists, two steals and one block in tonight’s matchup. Additionally, Dybantsa went 17-of-20 from the free throw line, setting program freshman records for both makes and attempts. Dybantsa has now scored 20 or more points in five-straight games, becoming the first Cougar to do so since Jimmer Fredette in 2011.
Richie Saunders reached the 20-point plateau for the sixth time this season and 21st time of his career with his 21 points on 6-of-10 shooting. The Riverton, Utah product added three rebounds, three assists, three steals and one block to his stat sheet.
The Cougars out-shot the Wildcats 59.5 to 40.7 percent, out-rebounded 30 to 26, out-blocked nine to zero, out-assisted 15 to 14 and out-stole 12 to seven.
First Half
Abilene Christian’s Cbo Newton went on a 4-0 personal spurt to open the game, but Saunders answered with a 3-pointer from Dybantsa to cut into the Wildcats’ lead.
In his first start as a Cougar, Khadim Mboup made an early impact defensively, blocking a Wildcat jumper and securing the rebound. Neither team scored from the field for almost three minutes before Aleksej Kostić intercepted an inbounds pass and Saunders finished with a layup, pulling BYU within 8-7 with 14:35 remaining in the half.
Turnovers, missed shots and fouls plagued both teams, resulting in a three-minute scoreless stretch from the field for BYU. Robert Wright III ended the drought with a basket, but the Wildcats responded with five straight points to maintain its lead.
Dybantsa sparked a response, stealing an inbounds pass and converting both free throws after being fouled. He forced another turnover on the next possession, then completed a three-point play to continue the surge. Wright III capped an 8-0 BYU run with a 3-pointer, giving the Cougars their first lead of the night.
Saunders and Tyler Mrus hit back-to-back 3-pointers to extend the advantage. Mrus’ corner triple marked the Cougars’ first points not scored by Saunders, Wright III or Dybantsa.
Mihailo Boskovic sparked a 7-0 BYU run by tipping in a Tyler Mrus shot. On the Wildcats’ next possession, the Cougars forced a shot-clock violation, and Dybantsa hit a jumper to capitalize. Boskovic then blocked an Abilene Christian attempt, and after Robert Wright III missed a three, Dybantsa grabbed the rebound and slammed it over the defense. Mrus closed the run with a free throw with 1:23 remaining.
AJ DYBANTSA 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/4vd3o9Eo2W
— SLAM (@SLAMonline) December 20, 2025
Boskovic closed the half with a wing 3-pointer off a Dybantsa assist to send BYU into the break leading 43-36.
Second Half
Dybantsa led BYU out of the locker room, scoring 10 of the Cougars’ first 11 points of the second half. After three jumpers and two free throws, Kennard Davis Jr. found Dybantsa on the fast break following a steal, forcing an Abilene Christian timeout with just under 15 minutes remaining and BYU leading 54-42.
The Wildcats responded with a 10-0 run, fueled by 3-pointers on consecutive possessions. Powered by Saunders, BYU answered with a 13-0 spurt over nearly four minutes to regain control. The run was highlighted by a Wright III steal that led to a Saunders dunk, and the senior capped the stretch at the free-throw line to keep the Cougars ahead 66-52 with 7:55 remaining.
Richie gettin' in on the action
— BYU Men's Basketball (@BYUMBB) December 20, 2025
📺TNT https://t.co/mdYSOoEvj3 pic.twitter.com/gumhW5pCmq
Over a three-minute stretch, the teams combined to score 12 of their 16 points from the free-throw line. After exchanging baskets, Dybantsa converted a three-point play through contact.
Mboup followed with a three-point play of his own, and Dominique Diomande sealed the 85-67 victory with a free throw.
Up Next
The Cougars will close their home stretch on Monday, Dec. 22 in a matchup against the Eastern Washington Eagles at 7 p.m. MST. Watch broadcast live on ESPN+ or listen to live play-by-play with Greg Wrubell on BYU Radio.