AJ Dybantsa keeps unlocking more game-changing abilities for No. 10 BYU as the season progresses.
On an eight-game winning streak, Cougars (11-1) wrap up the nonconference portion of their schedule Monday in Provo, Utah, hosting Eastern Washington as Dybantsa keeps finding new ways to dominate opponents. He tallied a season-high 35 points to power an 85-67 victory over visiting Abilene Christian on Friday.
Dybantsa shot 9 of 12 from the field and made 17 of 20 free throws in the first 30-point game of his college career. He became the first BYU freshman since Matt Carlino in 2012 to top 30 points in a game.
Abilene Christian made a point of guarding Dybantsa tough and making him earn his points at the foul line. He obliged and calmly sank one free throw after another to help the Cougars overcome a turnover-plagued slow start.
“He understood what they were doing, and he was doing a good job of using that against them. That was impressive,” BYU coach Kevin Young told the Deseret News after the game. “That’s one of the great things about AJ, is his intelligence for the game. He figured out real quick what it was going to be all night.”
The Cougars took a while to figure out Abilene Christian. They uncharacteristically struggled to take care of the ball, committing 18 turnovers, including 12 before halftime.
BYU struggled in part with rebounding and scoring inside because starting center Keba Keita sat out with an undisclosed illness.
“It’s clear that (Keita’s) impact on the game is everywhere,” teammate Richie Saunders told the Deseret News.
The Cougars will receive a boost to their frontcourt depth when Abdullah Ahmed makes his season debut Monday. Ahmed signed with BYU in November and has been cleared by the NCAA to play this season. The center spent the past two seasons with the Westchester Knicks of the G-League, averaging 3.8 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.2 blocks while making six starts.
Eastern Washington (2-10) plays its second Big 12 opponent in three days.
The Eagles fell to host Utah 101-77 on Saturday night. Alton Hamilton IV led Eastern Washington with 19 points and Kiree Huie added 17. Both players also collected nine rebounds.
The Utes broke open a close game late in the first half to take a 50-34 lead into the locker room. They shot 74.1% (20 of 27) from the field in the first half to take control.
It was a familiar result for Eastern Washington, which has just one win against Division I teams this season. The Eagles were much more competitive against power conference foes earlier this season. They lost by a total of 11 points against UCLA and Colorado, pushing the Buffaloes to overtime.
BYU is 3-0 all-time versus Eastern Washington. The teams last met in Provo in 2009 where the Cougars claimed a 91-34 victory.
–Field Level Media
