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- BYU defeated No. 23 Wisconsin 98-70 at the Delta Center.
- Robert Wright III achieved his second career double-double with 10 points and 11 assists.
- Richie Saunders led BYU with 26 points; AJ Dybantsa added 18 points and six rebounds.
SALT LAKE CITY — What color do you get when you mix red and blue? That would be purple, the color of the Jazz's NBA Cup floor, which also happened to be the court that was present when No. 9 BYU faced off against No. 23 Wisconsin.
The Cougars cruised to a 98-70 win over the Badgers in a matchup at the Delta Center and a rematch from last season's NCAA Tournament second round contest in Denver.
"What I said to the guys, if we were in the NBA, we would have played about four games by now," BYU head coach Kevin Young said. "Instead, we played none, and we had to sit on that UConn loss for way too long. I think that really drove some motivation for our guys, and I think that's a large part of why we came out and played well."
The Cougars' big three of AJ Dybantsa, Richie Saunders, and Robert Wright III helped carry the load, and they did not disappoint under the lights of Utah's NBA arena.
Saunders led the Cougars in scoring with 26 points on 10-of-16 shooting, while Wright did it all for BYU in a near triple-double with 10 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds. It was Wright's first double-double of the season and the second of his career.
Rob Wright with some nasty handles into a dime 🥵
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) November 21, 2025
(via @NBCSports)
pic.twitter.com/pyEYbkg7bP
It was also the second time Wright has nearly pulled off a triple-double after he came one assist and rebound shy in the team's win over Delaware.
Dybantsa finished with 18 points and six rebounds despite the star freshman playing just 10 minutes in the second half after notching his fourth foul as BYU began the final half of play.
Picking up where he left off in Boston, Dybantsa set the tone early for the Cougars. He started the game off aggressively, getting to the line early while also showing off his creative shot-making ability in front of the Cougars fans that made the trip north.
It was an all-around impressive shooting performance from BYU, who jumped out to a quick 12-point lead after scoring 13 unanswered points. The Cougars shot 47.7% from the field, while the Badgers struggled as they shot just 37.7%.
That shooting differential proved to be too much for Wisconsin to overcome as BYU answered back any time the Badgers closed the deficit to single digits. The Cougars' lead balloon to as much as 32 in the second half to demonstrate what the team's ceiling could look like this season.
Young praised his team's role players for their efforts in Friday's game, especially in the minutes in the second half with Dybantsa on the bench.
"That was impressive," Young said. "I thought tonight was the first game all year where everybody that we brought here, we brought in for a reason, and I think you saw that tonight."
Khadim Mboup got the crowd roaring with his hustle on grabbing a loose ball and fighting for a jump ball, keeping the ball in BYU's possession. Mboup may not have the flashiest statline with 6 points and five rebounds but his energy helped ignite the Cougars as they exploded for 53 points in the second half.
"I think the role definition is getting more clear, and that stretch with Khadim gave us a big lift," Young said. "I thought Rob stepped up. Dominique Diamonde came in and gave us a lift."
Blowing out a top-25 team by nearly 30 points was a big way for BYU to bounce back from its loss to UConn last week. The performance from the Cougars gave the rest of the country a glimpse into what Young and his staff are building in Provo as they add another impressive win to their growing resume.
BYU will be back in action on Thanksgiving when they take on the Miami Hurricanes at the Terry's Chocolate ESPN Events Invitational. The Badgers will gear up for Providence in their own Thanksgiving matchup as they look to shake off the defeat.
