KANSAS CITY, Mo. – BYU fell to No. 5 Houston 73-66 Thursday evening in the quarterfinals of the Phillips 66 Big 12 Men’s Basketball Tournament at the T-Mobile Center.
"Credit to Houston. They played a good game. They deserved to win," head coach Kevin Young said. "They made the plays that were necessary down the stretch. When you play Houston, you've got to keep the possession game pretty close the best you can. There were too many offensive rebounds down the stretch. Turned us over too much. We turned them over as well, but that was really the story. And Kingston Flemings is a special player that made a big play. So give them credit."
Despite BYU holding the lead at halftime, Houston outscored the Cougars in blue 36-25 in the second half to earn a trip to the Big 12 Tournament semifinal.
BYU was led by AJ Dybantsa, who posted a game-high 26 points, including 3-of-5 shooting from 3-point range. The freshman reached the 20-point plateau for the 27th time this season, tying him for second in program history with Devin Durrant (1983-84) and Michael Smith (1988-89).
Keba Keita nearly recorded a double-double with 13 rebounds and eight points on 3-of-5 shooting. Keita’s 90 offensive rebounds this season are tied for the seventh most in a single season in program history, and his seven offensive rebounds in the game are tied for the third most in a conference tournament game in program history.
Both teams recorded costly turnovers, with BYU grabbing 18 and Houston 16. Each team scored 19 points off the other’s turnovers. Second-chance points were also a factor in Houston’s win, as it scored 19.
First Half
Houston got on the board first and then went on a 6-0 run in just over one minute. Robert Wright III made BYU’s first field goal at 15:42, which kept Houston ahead 8-4 into the first media timeout.
BYU went on an 8-3 flurry led by Dybantsa and Wright III, as both posted 3-point plays. Turnovers by BYU allowed Houston six straight points, which helped the Cougars regain a seven-point lead with 9:50 remaining in the half.
Dybantsa and Wright III continued to lead BYU, as the freshman threw down a contested dunk and Wright III hit his second 3-pointer of the game. One minute later, Wright III made a layup, and a Kennard Davis Jr. rebound helped Dybantsa knock down a 3-pointer. On Houston’s next possession, Dominique Diomande snatched the ball and Dybantsa got to the free-throw line because of it. The teams traded free throws, and Houston stayed in front 29-28 with 4:28 on the clock.
AJ DYBANTSA IS UNREAL —
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) March 13, 2026
WHAT A DUNK. 🔥🔥🔥
pic.twitter.com/zf52imgQWO
Davis Jr. and Aleksej Kostic kickstarted an 11-2 run, as Davis Jr. converted an and-one step-back jumper and Kostic knocked down back-to-back shots from beyond the arc. Diomande capped the run with a takeaway and a windmill dunk. Houston closed the half with an and-one layup, but BYU went into the break on top 41-37, marking the first time it has led Houston at halftime since joining the Big 12 Conference.
Second Half
Houston came out hot after halftime, as it made two quick 3-pointers. Out-of-bounds turnovers were costly for BYU, allowing Houston to regain its lead, 47-46, with 15:19 left.
Dybantsa made two buckets in 46 seconds, a jumper and a 3-pointer. BYU then faced more than three minutes of a scoring drought before Diomande tipped in a shot. Houston went on a 6-2 run and stayed ahead, 59-55, with 7:42 on the clock.
Nearly four minutes of trading turnovers kept the score close at 61-58 with 3:50 left, as neither team made a field goal for more than three minutes before Houston knocked down a 3-pointer with 3:14 remaining.
Kostic made another 3-pointer, BYU’s first field goal in more than five minutes, to cut the deficit to three with 1:59 left. Kingston Flemings immediately responded with one of his own, and Houston followed with a block before earning a trip to the free-throw line on its next possession. Emmanuel Sharp made four free throws in 13 seconds to give Houston a 10-point lead. Keita made a late jumper and Dybantsa added a 3-pointer, but Houston advanced to the semifinals with a 73-66 win.
Up Next
The Cougars will await their postseason fate on Sunday, March 15 during the NCAA Selection Show that will air at 4 p.m. MST on CBS.