PROVO, Utah — AJ Dybantsa scored a freshman record 43 points as No. 13 BYU downed the Utah Utes 91-78 Saturday.
Despite an even first half, the Cougars ran away with the game following the dominant performance from Dybantsa and a 21-point showing from point guard Robert Wright III.
“That was impressive," head coach Kevin Young said. "In my mind I was thinking “man, this is a special player.” I’ve said it a lot, I think he is the clear cut number one pick in the NBA draft coming up. It was on full display tonight. He was doing it every which way... I need to give credit to the team, I thought the execution was probably as good as it’s been all year. We were moving AJ around a little more than we usually do because of how they guarded him. It was harder to double team him and our guys did a good job screening and getting him the ball. Hopefully everyone will look back on this night and have fond memories of it.”
Dybantsa wen 4-of-5 from behind the arc and added nine free throws on 10 attempts. He also grabbed six rebounds and dished out three assists. After scorign 19 points in the first half, Dybantsa scored 24 points over the final 20 minutes to break Danny Ainge's fresham scoring record that had stood since 1977.
Wright III added 21 points to the Cougars’ victory, shooting 6-of-11 from the field and 2-of-3 from the three to extned his 3-point streak to 17 games. He also sank seven free throws, secured five rebounds and matched Dybantsa with three assists of his own.
The team earned 48 points in the paint, throwing down three dunks in the process. The Cougars outrebounded Utah 40-24 and allowed just 18 points from the interior.
First Half
BYU started off hot with Kennard Davis Jr. getting a steal leading to an Dybantsa jumper from the paint. The Cougars then went ahead 6-0 on a Wright III 3-pointer. After forcing a Utah turnover, BYU pushed the ball down the court and extended their lead 8-2 off of a Dybantsa layup.
The Cougars kept the Utah offense at bay, not allowing a field goal until seven minutes into the half. Dybantsa again led BYU on the offensive side, hitting a shot inside the key through contact, earning and scoring one more from the line. A tip-in from Abdullah Ahmed capped off another offensive possession, extending the Cougars’ lead 14-9 headed into a media timeout.
Utah connected on a three immediately following the timeout, which Wright III followed with a three of his own. The Utes then answered with a 9-2 run, tying the game at 21-21. Another three from Utah would put them ahead 24-23, forcing a BYU timeout.
A reverse alley-oop lay-in from Dybantsa to Keita kick-started a back-and-forth exchange between the two teams, with both fighting through tough defense for baskets. Heading into a timeout, both teams sat at an even 32 with just over three minutes left to play in the first half.
3-pointers from Richie Saunders and Dybantsa pushed the Cougars ahead in the closing minutes of the half, and Khadim Mbopu reinforced things for the defense with a block in the final seconds. The strong finish would put BYU ahead 42-37 entering the half.
HYPE. US. UP.
— BYU Men's Basketball (@BYUMBB) January 24, 2026
📺 FOX pic.twitter.com/AzdNBiaFM0
Second Half
A feed from Davis Jr. to Keita would get things started for the Cougars as the second half began. Keita would also throw down a put-back slam on the next offensive possession. Utah stayed hot from the three, hitting two more before another put-back dunk, this time from Dybantsa.
BYU maintained its lead and defensive pressure, allowing just one score in a three-minute stint. Saunders made his presence known under the hoop, scoring a pair of shots in the paint and putting the Cougars ahead 63-56 at the 11-minute mark.
More free throws and a layup from Dybantsa moved the Cougars’ run to 8-0, before Utah answered with a 7-2 run of its own. Despite the Utes’ offensive push, BYU maintained its lead 71-63 as a timeout was called just under the eight-minute mark. A three from Mihailo Boskovic, a block from Ahmed and a second-chance slam from Dybantsa moved BYU’s lead to 15 with six minutes left to play.
Dybantsa then took complete control of the Cougars offense, hitting three consecutive threes, pushing him to a career-high 41 points and freshman record at BYU. The freshman then put down a one-handed slam just a minute later to secure the Cougars’ 91-78 win.
43 points for AJ Dybantsa 😤
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) January 25, 2026
(via @CBBonFOX)pic.twitter.com/soDxKy2Tpi
Up Next
The Cougars host No. 1 Arizona on Monday, Jan. 26, at 7:00 p.m. MST. Watch broadcast live on ESPN or listen to live play-by-play with Greg Wrubell on BYU Radio.