PROVO, Utah Utes (AP) AJ Dybantsa scored 43 points to break BYU Cougars’s freshman scoring record, leading the No. 13 Cougars to a 91-78 victory over Utah on Saturday.
Dybantsa went 15 for 24 from the floor and 9 for 10 from the free throw line for his first 40-point game. He surpassed Danny Ainge’s record for points in a game by a BYU freshman and added six rebounds, three assists and blocked a shot.
Rob Wright III finished with 21 points and Richie Saunders added 12 to help the Cougars (17-2, 5-1 Big 12) bounce back from an 84-71 loss to Texas Tech a week earlier. BYU shot 60% in the second half to pull away in its final test before facing No. 1 Arizona on Monday.
Keanu Dawes led Utah with 23 points and six rebounds. Terrence Brown chipped in 22 points and Dom McHenry added 16 for the Utes (9-11, 1-6), who shot 62% from 3-point range.
Dybantsa drove for a layup to cap a 14-3 run that gave BYU a 69-56 lead with 9:56 left. Saunders fueled the run with back-to-back layups and a pair of free throws over three straight possessions.
Dybantsa scored four baskets over five possessions – a dunk and three 3-pointers – to extend the Cougars’ lead to 87-68 with 3:12 left.
McHenry had four baskets to fuel a 16-7 spurt that put Utah up 28-26 with 6:56 left in the first half. The Utes made seven straight baskets to erase a seven-point deficit after starting 0 for 7 from the field.
BYU scored on four of its final six possessions to take a 42-37 halftime lead. Dybantsa started and ended the run with baskets.
Utah: Hosts Oklahoma State on January 31st.
BYU: Hosts No. 1 Arizona on Monday.
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| TOP SCORERS | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
8
 |
K. Dawes F | 23PTS | 6REB | 1AST | |
|
3
 |
A. Dybantsa F | 43PTS | 6REB | 3AST | |
| STARTERS | PTS | REB | AST | PF |
| K. Dawes | 23 | 6 | 1 | 3 |
| T. Brown | 22 | 1 | 4 | 2 |
| D. McHenry | 16 | 2 | 4 | 1 |
| S. Traore | 7 | 6 | 2 | 2 |
| J. Okonkwo | 2 | 5 | 1 | 2 |
| BENCH | PTS | REB | AST | PF |
| K. Sanders | 8 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| J. Huang | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| J. Hayes | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| O. Abbey | 0 | 0 | 4 | 3 |
| B. Faye | – | – | – | – |
| I. Traore | – | – | – | – |
| A. Jackson III | – | – | – | – |
| J. Patrick | – | – | – | – |
| L. Langarita | – | – | – | – |
| C. McHaney | – | – | – | – |
| Total | 78 | 22 | 17 | 19 |
| STARTERS | PTS | REB | AST | PF |
| A. Dybantsa | 43 | 6 | 3 | 0 |
| R. Wright III | 21 | 5 | 3 | 0 |
| R. Saunders | 12 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| K. Keita | 6 | 7 | 1 | 0 |
| K. Davis Jr. | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| BENCH | PTS | REB | AST | PF |
| A. Ahmed | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| M. Boskovic | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| J. McGregor | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| T. Mrus | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| D. Diomande | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| K. Mboup | 0 | 6 | 1 | 1 |
| A. Kostic | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| N. Pickens | – | – | – | – |
| B. Kozlowski | – | – | – | – |
| D. Baker | – | – | – | – |
| X. Staton | – | – | – | – |
| K. Perry | – | – | – | – |
| Total | 91 | 35 | 17 | 13 |