BYU overcame a 6-point halftime deficit and opened up its offense in the second half to beat TCU 76-70 Wednesday night in Provo.
BYU looked sluggish in the first half and TCU was disciplined defensively to go into halftime up 36-30. AJ Dybantsa came alive in the second half, scoring 25 points on the game and showing his scoring talent with outside shots, footwork, drives to the rim, and finishing through contact to convert and-one plays. Richie Saunders was just 1-6 from three, but hit a big three in the final minutes and still finished with 18 points. Rob Wright added 15 points, Mihailo Boskovic scored 8 off the bench, and Keba Keita finished with 7 points, 10 boards, and 3 blocks.
BYU shot just 35% from the floor and 21% from three, but 9 turnovers allowed BYU to maximize possessions and get to the foul line. Free throws were a major difference in the game. BYU shot 23-29 (79%) from the foul line while TCU was 12-18 (67%). TCU’s best player David Punch was just 3-8 from the line and finished with 8 points.
BYU moves to 16-1 on the season and is 4-0 in Big 12 play, BYU’s first 4-0 start in conference play in 13 years. Things now really ramp up for BYU in Big 12 play, beginning Saturday with a showdown at #15 Texas Tech at 8pm ET on ESPN.
