STILLWATER, Okla. — No. 16 BYU dropped a 99-92 decision to the Cowboys of Oklahoma State on Wednesday night at Gallagher-Iba Arena.
Oklahoma State led by 15 with 5:21 left in the first half, but BYU closed the gap and tied the game at 41 heading into halftime. The Cowboys maintained momentum in the second half, holding the Cougars to a game-high lead of five before Oklahoma State rebuilt its advantage to double figures.
AJ Dybantsa posted 36 points, going 13-of-20 from the field and 5-of-8 from 3-point range as he eclipsed 30 points for the fourth time in his career.. The Brockton, Mass. product added seven rebounds and four assists.
Richie Saunders finished with 20 points and a game-high eight rebounds, three of those coming on the offensive glass. Robert Wright III was the third Cougar in double figurs with the sophomore scoring 15 points to go along with four assists.
BYU shot 50.0 percent from the field but were unable to get stops on the defensive end as the Cowboys went 35-of-64 from the field, 7-of-21 from three and 22-of-34 from the charity stripe.
First Half
Both teams got off to a slow start, committing four turnovers apiece. The Cowboys scored the game’s first four points with a pair of layups before Keba Keita put BYU on the board with a layup. OSU led 4-2 at the first media timeout.
Turnovers continued to plague the Cougars as they committed four more while the Cowboys used a 9-3 run to build a lead. Wright III found Mihailo Boskovic for a three, but OSU held an 18-9 advantage with 11:38 left in the opening frame.
Wright III assisted on another 3-ball, this one from Khadim Mboup, but the Cowboys answered with a 10-0 run in just over a minute. Wright III and Dybantsa each converted driving layups to cut the deficit to 11, but OSU extended its lead to 31-18 with 7:56 to go.
Saunders and Dybantsa answered a 6-0 Cowboy run with back-to-back 3-pointers in under 30 seconds. Less than 40 seconds later, Dybantsa hit another three to cap a 9-0 BYU run and trim the difference to six.
Out of the final media timeout of the half, Dybantsa threw down a dunk. Kennard Davis Jr. grabbed a rebound on the Cowboys’ next possession, and after Saunders missed a 3-pointer, he secured his own rebound and scored on a layup. Saunders grabbed another offensive rebound on BYU’s next trip, setting up two free throws from Dybantsa. The freshman made both to cut the gap to two, BYU’s closest since the opening minutes. Dybantsa hit another dunk with three seconds left to tie the game at 41 heading into halftime.
AJ Dybantsa throws it DOWN to tie it at the half against Oklahoma State 😤pic.twitter.com/v1cGx6QIKs
— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) February 5, 2026
Second Half
The Cougars powered a 9-2 run, highlighted by a Dybantsa-to-Keita alley-oop and a Saunders 3-pointer, to take the lead. The Cowboys responded with six-straight points to regain the advantage and led 51-50 at the next media timeout.
Back-to-back BYU turnovers led to four Cowboy points to keep them ahead. Davis Jr. stopped the run with a 3-pointer to trim the deficit to two. Just over a minute later, the St. Louis, Mo. native added another three before Oklahoma State went on a 7-0 run to gain a six-point lead with 10:05 left.
The teams traded baskets, but the Cowboys stretched the margin to eight on a 3-pointer with 7:02 left. Wright III hit Dybantsa for a three to answer, but the Cowboys answered with a 7-0 spurt to make it a 12-point game, 81-69, with 4:13 to go.
Wright III scored BYU’s next five points, converting an and-one layup before drawing a foul on the next possession and making two free throws. BYU then fouled Oklahoma State on consecutive trips, and the Cowboys made 3-of-4 from the line to maintain a 12-point lead with 3:17 left.
Saunders and Dybantsa each hit a 3-pointer, but Oklahoma State answered with four more free throws to keep the lead at 10. The duo added another pair of threes late, but BYU could not close the gap in a 99-92 loss.
Up Next
The Cougars return home for a matchup against the No. 8 Houston Cougars on Saturday, Feb. 7 at 8:30 p.m. MST. Watch broadcast live on ESPN or listen to live play-by-play with Greg Wrubell on BYU Radio.