(RED) RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK
Saturday will be the ninth all-time meeting between the two programs and fifth since the Cougars joined the Big 12. BYU is 3-5 all-time against the Red Raiders with their last win coming on Dec. 17, 1993 in Provo.
The regular season finale would have been Richie Saunders fifth meeting against the Red Raiders as he averaged 13.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game while shooting 51.4 percent from the field, 41.2 percent from three and 87.5 percent from the free throw line.
Texas Tech is one of two schools that BYU has yet to beat since joining the best men's basketball conference in the nation. The Cougars led by nine points with nine minutes left in regulation following a Saunders 3-pointer in their only meeting earlier this season but saw the Red Raiders finish the game on a 32-10 run for a 84-71 victory. Robert Wright III had 28 for the Cougars going 9-of-17 from the field, 1-of-5 from three and 9-of-9 from the free throw line to go along with five rebounds and three assists. AJ Dybantsa was held to a season-low 13 points.
PROTECTING HOME COURT
The Cougars are 665-159 all-time at the Marriott Center including a 26-5 (83.9 percent) under second-year head coach Kevin Young. Since 2000, BYU has more double digit home win streaks than they have consecutive losses in Provo, 13-6.
DOING HIS THING
With 745 points in 30 games, AJ Dybantsa ranks ninth on BYU's single season scoring list seven points away from passing Jimmer Fredette (2009-10) for eighth. The freshman needs 55 points to become the third player in program history with 800 points in a single season joining Jimmer Fredette (2010-11) and Devin Durrant (1983-84).
Following his 23-point performance at Cincinnati, the native of Brockton, Mass. is still on pace to become the third freshman to lead the nation in scoring at 24.8 points per contest. He has scored 20 or more 23 times this season which is the seventh-most in a single season in program history.
| Rk |
Name, School |
G |
Pts |
Avg |
| 1 |
AJ Dybantsa, BYU |
30 |
745 |
24.8 |
| 2 |
Jordan Riley, East Carolina |
28 |
671 |
24.0 |
| 3 |
Daeshun Ruff, Jackson State |
27 |
644 |
23.9 |
| 4 |
PJ Haggerty, Kansas State |
29 |
677 |
23.3 |
| 5 |
Ebuka Okorie, Stanford |
28 |
638 |
22.8 |
AUSTRIA? WELL, THEN! G'DAY MATE!
Aleksej Kostic has become a third scoring option for the Cougars over the past three games as the freshman is averaging 13.3 points per game shooting 50.0 percent from 3-point range. He has knocked down three or more 3-pointers in three straight games something he had only done once prior, a 5-of-8 performance in a win over UC Riverside in non-conference play.
For the season, he shooting 40.0 percent form 3-point range which is the sixth-highest in field goal percentage (min. 20 3FG made by a freshman in program history.
