AJ Dybantsa scored 25 points as No. 11 BYU pulled away late in a 76-70 win over TCU in a Big 12 Conference matchup Wednesday in Provo, Utah.
Richie Saunders tallied 18 points and Robert Wright III added 15 for BYU (16-1, 4-0 Big 12), which pushed its winning streak to 13 games.
Xavier Edmonds racked up 19 points for TCU (11-6, 1-3). Micah Robinson added 10 points for the Horned Frogs, who dropped their third straight game.
In a physical contest, both teams struggled to get their offense going. The Cougars shot 35.3% (24 of 68) from the field and 20.8% (5 of 24) on 3-point attempts. TCU managed to convert 41% of its field goal attempts (25 of 61) and 29.6% (8 of 27) of its shots from beyond the arc.
BYU held a 51-36 rebounding edge which led to a 24-11 advantage in second-chance points.
A 3-pointer by TCU reserve Jace Posey gave TCU an 8-2 lead. The Horned Frogs held a 25-9 advantage in bench points.
But the Cougars took a 20-16 lead with a 8-0 run highlighted by a Dybantsa reverse layup. Tanner Toolson’s catch-and-shoot three broke the BYU rally and initiated the Horned Frogs’ own 8-0 burst as TCU went back on top at 24-20 at the 6:02 mark.
TCU responded with a Robinson three and led 34-28. The Horned Frogs held a 36-30 halftime lead.
In the second half, Saunders and Dybantsa sandwiched three-point plays around a Punch layup and BYU trailed 41-36. Moments later, Keba Keita’s tip-in tied the game at 41-all.
With a 12-3 rally that featured nine points from Dybantsa, on a pair of three-point plays and a 3-pointer, the Cougars led 55-49 with 11:56 to left.
The Horned Frogs hung tough, as Robinson’s driving layup tied the game at 63-all as TCU reeled off a 7-2 run.
However, Wright’s layup gave BYU a 65-63 lead with 3:36 remaining. After Wright hit a pair of free throws, Saunders buried a three and BYU used a 7-0 run to go ahead 70-63 with 2:14 left.
–Field Level Media
