KANSAS CITY, Mo. — What a difference 11 days can make.
AJ Dybantsa continued his torrid scoring pace with 27 points, seven rebounds and three assists; and Kennard Davis Jr. added a season-high 20 points as BYU blew past West Virginia 68-48 Wednesday in the second round of the Big 12 men's basketball tournament at the T-Mobile Center.
Robert Wright III added 11 points and six assists for the Cougars (23-10), who pulled down 35 rebounds and limited the Mountaineers to 10 offensive boards.
Honor Huff had 17 points to lead West Virginia (18-14), who handed BYU a road loss 79-71 on Feb. 28.
After a slow start, BYU took control with six turnovers in just over six minutes, and Dominique Diomande capped a 12-1 run with a transition dunk to take a 17-11 lead with 8:01 left in the half.
The Cougars gave up 18 offensive rebounds in a 79-71 loss to the Mountaineers 11 days prior in Morgantown, but limited the No. 7 seed to just five offensive boards en route to a 31-23 halftime advantage.
Dybantsa had 17 points, four rebounds and two assists at the break for a BYU team that held West Virginia to just 8-of-22 shooting (36.4%) and 3-of-6 from 3-point range.
six points on two lobs and a windmill 😏
— BYU Men's Basketball (@BYUMBB) March 12, 2026
📺 ESPN2 pic.twitter.com/qAX0GPJEYP
The Cougars' shots didn't always fall, such as when they went just 2-of-10 during a stretch midway through the second half to allow the Mountaineers to pull within 39-35 on a dunk by Lorient with 13:39 to go.
But BYU's supporting cast stepped in during those lulls, even in non-scoring ways. Keba Keita and Khadim Mboup combined for 14 rebounds. Diomande with three steals to help BYU cash in 21 turnovers for 15 points.
Oh, and the redshirt freshman from Paris by way of Washington who led all players (unofficially) in windmill dunks.
The Cougars also got offense when needed against the No. 58-rated team in the NET with the No. 18 adjusted defense in KenPom.
Beyond Dybantsa, who scored five of his points from the free-throw line, Davis scored 17 of his 20 points in the second half that included a 3-pointer as part of a 14-2 run that turned a 43-40 edge into a 57-42 advantage with 3:53 remaining.
The Mountaineers never threatened again.
This story will be updated.
