No. 16 BYU's defensive struggles lead to third straight loss at Oklahoma State

No. 16 BYU arrived in Stillwater, Okla., looking to halt a two game slide, but repeated turnovers and an inability to string together defensive stops led to a 99-92 loss at Oklahoma State, extending the Cougars’ skid to three games.

Oklahoma State entered Wednesday night 12-2 at home, including a ranked win over UCF in January, and used that edge to control much of the first half against BYU.

The Cowboys built a lead that reached 15 before BYU closed the half on a 19-4 run to pull even at 41-41 at the break.

The Cougars shot 52% from the field and 42% from three, but 11 first half turnovers muted that efficiency. Ten of those turnovers came from BYU’s ‘Big 3’ and helped Oklahoma State maintain momentum for most of the half.

After four turnovers in the opening six minutes, BYU’s AJ Dybantsa settled in late and sparked the Cougars’ rally.

He scored 12 of their final 19 points over the last five minutes and finished the half with 18, helping erase the deficit before halftime.

That momentum, however, did not carry over.

While BYU kept the game within reach for much of the second half, Oklahoma State gradually created separation in the closing minutes, holding a three-possession lead for the final five minutes of the game.

Takeaways:

BYU’s defensive struggles continue

Defense remains a growing concern for BYU. In the four games prior to Wednesday night, the Cougars had been allowing an average of 84.5 points per game on 50% shooting from the field and 46% from three.

Oklahoma State entered the game as one of the most up-tempo offenses in the country, ranking first in the Big 12 in pace and top 25 nationally in scoring at 86 points per game.

Even with that context, allowing 95 points marks the fifth time in the last seven games that BYU has surrendered at least 80, a trend that is becoming increasingly difficult to overlook.

After giving up 81 points to Eastern Washington earlier in the season, BYU coach Kevin Young acknowledged the team was still searching for its defensive identity and expressed confidence that adjustments would follow.

That comment came in December. Now in February, meaningful progress on the defensive end has yet to materialize.

Dawson Baker and Nate Pickens are dearly missed

Bench production has been a lingering issue for BYU for much of the season, dating back to Dawson Baker’s injury in November and Nate Pickens’ season ending injury before it began.

Entering Wednesday night, the Cougars ranked 348th nationally at 12.6 bench points per game. Oklahoma State, by contrast, brought one of the deeper benches in the country, ranking top 40 nationally and second in the Big 12 at just over 30 points per game.

That gap showed up clearly. Oklahoma State’s bench outscored BYU’s 28-9, led by 18 points from senior guard Jaylen Curry.

The reality is BYU is not as deep as it was a season ago. During the 2024-2025 season, the Cougar bench averaged more than 30 points per game, ranking second in the Big 12 and top 30 nationally.

The Cougars are far more talented on the top end of their roster, but top-end talent still requires help in the form of bench production, and the Cougars simply don’t have that right now.

AJ Dybantsa bounces back with 36-point outburst

Offensive production was not an issue for BYU against Oklahoma State, especially for AJ Dybantsa, who led the way with 36 points and seven rebounds.

Even more notable, Dybantsa did not score for the first five and a half minutes of the game.

After consecutive outings against Arizona and Kansas where he struggled to get clean looks, Young made clear adjustments to get him into one-on-one positions, allowing him to take advantage.

Dybantsa scored 18 points in each half and made five three-pointers, a season high.

BYU (17-5, 5-4) will now look to regroup, hosting No. 6 Houston on Saturday in Provo.