AJ Dybantsa exploded for 36 points, Robert Wright III poured in 30 points against his former team and No. 22 BYU went on to a 99-94 victory over Baylor on Tuesday night in Waco, Texas.
The Cougars (18-6, 6-5 Big 12) snapped a four-game losing skid with the victory. Dybantsa, the nation’s leading scorer, finished 14 of 20 from the field and added five rebounds and seven assists. Wright was 12 of 21 from the field and finished with four rebounds and three assists.
Dybantsa and Wright were the first BYU duo to score 30-plus points since Jan. 4, 1984.
The Bears (13-11, 3-9) have lost six of their last eight games as their season-long struggles continue. Tounde Yessoufou was a bright spot with a season-high 37 points, six rebounds and three assists. Cameron Carr had 24 points and grabbed eight rebounds, and Caden Powell added 13 points.
Baylor got off to a fast start, heating up from 3-point range. Carr and Yessoufou knocked in consecutive 3s to give the Bears a 33-21 lead at the 8:32 mark in the first half. Yessoufou’s triple came with a favorable bounce off the front rim.
But things shifted in BYU’s favor the rest of the half. The Cougars closed the gap with an 11-2 run and briefly took a 41-40 lead on a jumper by Wright, but they went to the locker rooms tied 41-41.
Baylor opened the second half with a 7-2 spurt, but BYU quickly responded with its own 15-2 run, taking a 58-50 lead on a jumper by Richie Saunders with 13:54 left.
The Cougars went on to lead by as many as 17 points in the closing minutes. Baylor pulled to within 94-90 on a three-point play by Carr with 25.7 seconds left, but BYU never let it get to within one possession.
Saunders finished with 15 points and grabbed nine rebounds for BYU, which outshot Baylor 55.9% to 51.6% from the field. Isaac Williams had 12 points and seven assists for the Bears.
–Field Level Media
