Rust was the four-letter word that coach Kevin Young and No. 10 BYU hoped to avoid coming into its Big 12 opener at Kansas State on Saturday afternoon after 12 days off.
The Cougars showed little evidence of it in an 83–73 road win.
After a slow start on the offensive end, AJ Dybantsa provided an early lift, scoring 12 of his 14 first-half points in the opening 11 minutes to steady BYU.
Kansas State responded by sending double teams at Dybantsa on nearly every possession, which opened opportunities elsewhere.
Saunders connected on three first-half 3-pointers, and Wright added seven points to keep the offense balanced.
BYU was at its best on the defensive end. The Cougars held Kansas State, which entered on a four-game winning streak and had averaged more than 97 points per game during that stretch, to 35 first-half points. The Wildcats shot 35 percent from the field and just 15 percent from beyond the arc.
That combination allowed BYU to take a 45–35 lead into halftime.
The Cougars carried that momentum into the second half. While the offense never fully found its usual rhythm, BYU maintained control by continuing to limit Kansas State defensively.
The Wildcats made just one 3-pointer in the second half and finished 3 of 21 from beyond the arc for the game.
It was not BYU’s cleanest performance, but it was effective. In a sold-out environment, the Cougars did enough on both ends to secure the win.
With the victory, BYU picked up its fourth Quad 1 win of the season and improved to 4–1 in Quad 1 games overall. The Cougars also extended their winning streak to 10 games, marking the program’s longest such stretch since the 2010–11 season.
They will return home to face Arizona State on Wednesday.
Notables
Dybantsa finished with 24 points and eight rebounds but also committed seven turnovers. Kansas State’s consistent double teams forced difficult decisions at times, though Dybantsa has been a reliable secondary ball handler alongside Wright throughout the season.
Mihailo Boskovic provided a spark off the bench, scoring nine points in 18 minutes and posting a plus-17 while on the floor.
Keiba Keita added 11 points, 16 rebounds, and two blocks.
He was a dominant force all day and also got some much needed help at the center position with Abdullah Ahmed, who added four points and three blocks in just 12 minutes of play.