The BYU men's basketball team recently participated in two distinct games, securing a significant victory over Arizona State and experiencing a narrow defeat against No. 1 ranked Arizona. The Cougars defeated Arizona State 104-76 in Provo, Utah, and subsequently lost 86-83 to Arizona in a contest held at the Marriott Center.
Game 1: No. 9 BYU Defeats Arizona State 104-76
On Wednesday night in Provo, Utah, the No. 9 BYU Cougars defeated Arizona State 104-76. The victory extended BYU's winning streak to 11 games, bringing their season record to 14-1 overall and 2-0 in the Big 12 conference. Arizona State's record moved to 9-6 (0-2), marking their fourth consecutive loss.
Individual Performances- BYU:
- Richie Saunders led BYU with a career-high 31 points and eight rebounds, shooting 10 of 13 from the field, including six 3-pointers.
- AJ Dybantsa contributed 23 points, seven rebounds, and five assists.
- Robert Wright III added 27 points.
- Arizona State:
- Anthony Johnson scored 24 points.
- Massamba Diop recorded 22 points and nine rebounds.
BYU outscored Arizona State 31-16 in fast-break points and executed 10 blocks during the game.
The Cougars established an early 13-0 scoring run, leading 16-6 after three consecutive scores by Dybantsa. During this period, Arizona State missed nine consecutive shots. Baskets from Diop and Maurice Odum ended Arizona State's scoring drought.
Later in the first half, Arizona State experienced another scoring period without points, missing six consecutive shots and committing four turnovers over a four-minute interval.
BYU re-established a double-digit lead, reaching 37-23 with 5:08 remaining in the first half following a layup by Dybantsa. Arizona State's field goal percentage in the first half was 27.5% (11 of 40).
In the second half, BYU scored on its first four possessions and executed a 20-5 run, expanding its lead to 70-40 with 11:42 left in the game. Saunders contributed three baskets and two free throws during this segment.
Upcoming Schedule- Arizona State is scheduled to host Kansas State on Saturday.
- BYU is scheduled to visit Utah on Saturday.
Game 2: No. 1 Arizona Secures 86-83 Victory Over No. 13 BYU
In a subsequent contest, No. 1 Arizona defeated No. 13 BYU 86-83 at the Marriott Center. This victory extended Arizona's unbeaten record to 21-0 overall and 8-0 in the Big 12.
Individual Performances- Arizona:
- Brayden Burries achieved a career-high 29 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals.
- Jaden Bradley contributed 26 points, 3 assists, and 2 steals.
- Koa Peat scored 10 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists.
- BYU:
- AJ Dybantsa scored 24 points, with 4 rebounds and 5 assists. Dybantsa shot 6-of-24 from the field and 1-of-8 from three-point range.
- Richie Saunders recorded 18 points and 8 rebounds.
- Kennard Davis, Jr. added 17 points, making 5 of 8 three-point attempts.
- Robert Wright III contributed, but shot 3-of-15 from the field and 1-of-5 on three-pointers.
Arizona outrebounded BYU 39-37 and recorded a 57.9% shooting percentage in the second half.
Arizona established a lead of up to 19 points midway through the second half. BYU subsequently reduced the point differential in the final minutes. Key plays in BYU's comeback attempt included:
- With 2:02 remaining, Saunders made a three-pointer, reducing BYU's deficit to 7 points.
- Robert Wright III hit another three-pointer, narrowing the deficit to 7 again with 56 seconds left.
- Keba Keita scored on a cutback basket.
- Dybantsa converted two free throws following a flagrant-1 foul, making the score 82-78 with 37 seconds left.
- Davis assisted Keita for an alley-oop with 21 seconds remaining, and then scored on a put-back, bringing BYU within one point.
On the final possession of the game, Wright's floater attempt was blocked by Burries, securing Arizona's victory. Aleksej Kostic contributed to BYU's second-half scoring with back-to-back triples during a 17-11 run.