A nearly sold-out Marriott Center crowd saw the BYU men’s basketball team deliver a statement performance in its Big 12 home opener Wednesday night, rolling past Arizona State 104–76.
The Cougars’ offensive firepower was on full display as BYU’s “Big Three” did what they’ve done all season — only this time in especially dominant fashion against the Sun Devils.
Richie Saunders, AJ Dybantsa and Rob Wright III combined for 81 points, outscoring Arizona State by themselves and setting the tone for a wire-to-wire victory.
BYU’s efficiency was equally impressive. The Cougars shot 57% from the field and 45% from three, capitalizing on early defensive stops and rebounds that led to easy transition buckets. Just five minutes into the game, BYU rattled off a 13–0 run, setting the tone for the rest of the night.
While the offensive numbers jumped off the stat sheet, BYU’s defensive presence in the paint also played a key role.
Abdullah Ahmed delivered his most impactful performance of his short season thus far, recording five blocks in just 17 minutes while committing only one foul.
Including his three blocks against Kansas State and one against Eastern Washington, Ahmed is now averaging three blocks per game while playing just 13 minutes per contest.
“You know, that’s what he does,” head coach Kevin Young said. “All of a sudden, we have a lot of depth at the five spot. I think that reared its head tonight.”
Between Ahmed and Keba Keita, BYU now has multiple reliable options protecting the rim, allowing the Cougars to maintain defensive intensity for all forty minutes. That depth was evident even while Keita didn’t play, as Arizona State struggled to find consistent looks inside.
The biggest story of the night, however, belonged to Richie Saunders.
Despite fouling out with just over four minutes remaining, Saunders posted a career-high 31 points on ultra-efficient shooting — 10-of-13 from the field, 6-of-8 from three and a perfect 5-of-5 from the free throw line.
“I thought he was super locked in, and that’s what we talked about coming into the game — our approach,” Young said. “I thought he kind of set the stage there.”
Saunders’ career night was punctuated by his ability to impact the game in multiple ways. Beyond scoring, he added eight rebounds, three assists, two steals, and finished with a game-high plus-minus of 29.
As for how he pulled it all off, Saunders kept it simple.
“Yeah, I don’t know — a lot of praise to these guys for giving me the ball,” Saunders said. “I’m just super happy to be able to play, and it’s fun when the ball goes your way.”
On a night that felt less like an early-season victory and more like a statement of intent, conference wins like these showcase the talent and confidence that has fueled BYU’s strong start to conference play.
With its stars firing on all cylinders and defensive contributors stepping up, the Cougars will look to carry this momentum forward as they prepare for Utah on Saturday night.