PROVO, Utah — No. 23 BYU defeated Queens 98-82 Tuesday night at the Marriott Center to win its 28th consecutive non-conference game and improve to 3-0 on the season.
“I think the efficiency is what I get the most excited about,” head coach Kevin Young said. “I still feel a little frustration where I think we're leaving money on the table. This team's secret sauce is to play unselfishly, and when we do that, I think we're going to score a lot of points.”
Five Cougars scored in double figures for the third consecutive game, while BYU reached 90 points for the 25th time under Young.
Robert Wright III led the Cougars in scoring for the third consecutive game with 21 points, adding four rebounds and a team-high six assists.
Jaxon Kohler added 15 points and eight rebounds, going 3-for-3 from 3-point range. Bruce Branch III and Nate Pickens scored 15 points apiece, with Pickens sinking three 3-pointers. Collin Chandler rounded out BYU’s double-figure scorers with 12 points and a career-high four steals.
Despite being outrebounded and recording fewer assists than Queens, BYU made 17 3-pointers, the fifth-most in a single game in program history and second-most at the Marriott Center.
The Cougars also forced 13 turnovers, grabbed nine steals and recorded eight blocks, their most since tallying 10 against Arizona State in January 2026.
First Half
The Cougars won the opening tip and struck first after Chandler’s block on one end led to a Branch III dunk on the other. Branch III added two 3-pointers over the next few possessions, accounting for eight of the Cougars’ first 10 points.
Bruce cookin' early 📺 ESPN+ https://t.co/ZoWIYDNaIz
— BYU Men's Basketball (@BYUMBB) November 11, 2026
Queens went toe-to-toe with BYU early, forcing four turnovers over the first four minutes and keeping the game close through the first four minutes.
Coming out of a timeout, Pickens stole the ball and fed it down the court to Chandler for an emphatic dunk with just over 15 minutes remaining in the half. Kohler drilled a corner 3-pointer to give the Cougars a 17-9 lead and cap a 10-0 scoring run.
Brooks Bahr dropped a defender to the floor with a behind-the-back crossover and fed the ball to Jake Wahlin in the corner for another 3-pointer, giving BYU a 22-14 lead with 13 minutes remaining.
The Cougars and the Royals traded 3-pointers before Chandler intercepted a pass and took it down the court for his second dunk of the night. He followed with his first 3-pointer of the game with 7:20 remaining to extend BYU’s lead to 13.
Kohler made a 3-pointer from the top of the key with 6:30 left in the half before recording BYU’s fifth block of the night on the other end.
Pickens sank two 3-pointers in three possessions as part of an 18-6 run to extend the lead to 22 with just under four minutes remaining in the half.
After scoring on two layups and a 3-pointer, Queens added six points from the free-throw line to cut BYU’s lead to 54-42 entering halftime.
BYU shot 62.5 percent from the field in the first half, going 12-for-20 from beyond the arc to tie for the third-most 3-pointers in a first half in program history.
Second Half
Queens sank consecutive 3-pointers on its first two possessions to cut the deficit to six, but Kohler responded with a corner 3-pointer to give BYU its first points of the half with 16:39 remaining.
Chandler grabbed three steals in less than 90 seconds to surpass his previous career high of three and spark defensive momentum for the Cougars.
Kohler snagged offensive rebounds on consecutive possessions and scored back-to-back layups with under 15 minutes remaining to put BYU up 63-53. Pickens’ three-point play and Wahlin’s second 3-pointer of the night helped fuel a 13-0 run that gave the Cougars a 72-53 lead with 12 minutes remaining.
Queens answered with four 3-pointers in less than three minutes to cut the deficit to 12, but Wright halted the Royals’ momentum with a tough layup and contested 3-pointer on consecutive possessions.
too smooth @robertwr1ght 📺 ESPN+ https://t.co/QnRURsdBXi
— BYU Men's Basketball (@BYUMBB) November 11, 2026
The teams exchanged several baskets over the next few minutes, with Queens’ making three more 3-pointers to keep the pressure on BYU, which led 90-74 with just under six minutes remaining.
Despite a late offensive push by the Royals, the Cougars converted their free-throw opportunities down the stretch to secure the 98-82 victory.
Up Next
No. 23 BYU hosts Montana State on Thursday, Nov. 12, at 7 p.m. MST. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+, with radio play-by-play coverage available from Greg Wrubell on BYUradio.