BYU's AJ Dybantsa goes off in Big 12 Tournament debut win

AJ Dybantsa delivered a performance worthy of the postseason spotlight.

The BYU freshman star poured in 40 points, grabbed nine rebounds and dished out six assists in the 105-91 victory over Kansas State Tuesday night in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament at T-Mobile Center.

Dybantsa’s scoring outburst set a Big 12 Tournament record for most points by a freshman and helped the Cougars (22-10) produce the highest-scoring game in tournament history.

Robert Wright III added 14 points and six assists for BYU, while Kennard Davis Jr. finished with 15 points. Aleksej Kostic chipped in 11 points and Khadim Mboup contributed eight points and 14 rebounds as the Cougars dominated the glass, outrebounding Kansas State 40-29.

The Cougars led just 50-49 at halftime in a tight contest. There was rust to knock off in the opening half. But in the end a scoring duel between Dybantsa and Kansas State’s P.J. Haggerty made for good action on the court. Haggerty finished with 27 points to lead the Wildcats.

Midway through the second half, BYU created separation from K-State. The Cougars unleashed a 17-2 run beginning with about just over nine minutes remaining, turning a close game into a sizable lead they never relinquished.

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Nate Johnson scored 19 points and Khamari McGriff added 13 for Kansas State, which was playing its final game under interim coach Matthew Driscoll following the firing of Jerome Tang last month.

BYU has dealt with injuries, which caused a late-season skid. However, coach Kevin Young seems to have made good adjustments with star Richie Saunders out. Now the Cougars turn its attention to West Virginia with a little momentum on their side.

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