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BYU forward AJ Dybantsa (3) and guard Richie Saunders (15) react to a play against Arizona State during the first half of an NCAA basketball game, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026, in Provo, Utah.

Rob Gray, AP Photo

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BYU guard Richie Saunders (15) shoots a three point basket over Arizona State guard Anthony Johnson (2) during the second half of an NCAA basketball game, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026, in Provo, Utah.

Rob Gray, AP Photo

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BYU guard Robert Wright III (1) drives to the basket against Arizona State forward Andrija Grbovic, left, during the first half of an NCAA basketball game, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026, in Provo, Utah.

Rob Gray, AP Photo

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BYU forward AJ Dybantsa (3) moves the ball against Arizona State's Andrija Gbovi during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026, in Provo, Utah.

Rob Gray, AP Photo

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Not only can BYU’s “Big Three” of AJ Dybantsa, Richie Saunders and Robert Wright III score a lot of points, they can score them quickly, too.

Arizona State didn’t have a chance.

The talented trio combined for 81 points, outscoring the Sun Devils entire team in Wednesday’s 104-76 blowout in front of a sellout crowd at the Marriott Center: Sanders with a career-high 31, Wright with a career high 27 and Dybantsa with 23.

The three stars combined to make 11 of 19 from the 3-point line and took turns torturing the Sun Devils leaky defense with drives to the goal.

Dybantsa scored 10 points before five minutes had run off the clock in the first half for a 16-6 lead. Saunders poured in ten points in just four minutes to start the second half, continuing a trend of blistering ASU after scoring 30 against Bobby Hurley’s team to open Big 12 play last season. And Wright scored five in the final minute of the first half, including a 3-pointer that gave the Cougars a 45-30 halftime lead. Then he provided the highlight of the game late in the beating, racing out of bounds on the fast break to save a pass and whipped it behind his back to Saunders, who drained a 3-pointer for a 92-54 lead with six minutes to play.

“Those are the best deal, because you can literally feel the whole place just go (stand up),” Saunders said. “So if you make it, it’s amazing and then if you miss those, everybody just goes, ‘Ohhh.’ And you can just hear it because it’s 20,000 people doing that. But those are fun ones.”

Not to be outdone, Dybantsa sailed in for a windmill jam a few moments later that brought the crowd to its feet once again.

When those three standouts are cooking like they were on Wednesday, does Kevin Young and his coaching staff just try get out of the way and not mess things up?

“100%,” Young said. “I learned that in the NBA. Guys are good. Just get them space, get them the ball and just shut up, move and sit down. I say that tongue in cheek, because what I challenge those guys with is we’re going to give them spacing but then it’s a lot of responsibility and they have to make the right decisions. Those are three really mature guys that understand the game and that allows them to be great.”

What was painfully obvious to Sun Devils fans — and Hurley — was that they didn’t have anybody in uniform that could stay in front of any of the Big Three.

“We have some guys sometimes off the ball where they have no clue that they’re guarding a guy that can make shots like that,” Hurley said. “The only thing we can hang our hat on leaving here tonight is that we did stop the Chik-fil-A for the students, if I’m not mistaken. I think we were able to get that done tonight.”

Hurley was referring to the second half promotion where if an apposing player misses consecutive free throws, the students get free chicken.

Arizona State managed to stay within shouting distance in the first half because of offensive rebounding (12) and BYU turnovers (nine), but the Sun Devils were a frigid 11 of 40 (27.5%) from the field and 4 of 13 (30.8%) from the 3-point line.

Dybantsa started off the second half with a 3-point play and Sanders scored 10 straight points, then fed Dybantsa for a 3-pointer and a 62-37 lead with 14:51 to play. An eight-point run, highlighted by a 3-point play from Abdullah Ahmed, made BYU’s lead 70-40 with 12 minutes to go.

The Cougars large lead was 38 points, 92-54, on a Saunders triple with 5:56 remaining. Wright, playing with four subs, scored eight of BYU’s final ten points, getting a layup to reach 100, the first time the Cougars have hit the century mark in Big 12 play.

“I think we’ve formed an identity of how we want to play,” Young said. “The next step for this group is just having the right approach and mentality that gives you the edge to go out and be a team that leaves no doubt, right? That’s what I want. In that game, there was no doubt how focused our guys were and when those three guys in particular have that with their talent and the unselfishness that they play the game with, the sky’s the limit not only for that trio but for our team as well.”

Some other key stats: BYU blocked ten shots, led by Ahmed, who made his first start in place of Keba Keita at the center position. Keita rested with a sprained ankle and Ahmed finished with three points, five rebounds and five blocks.

Anthony “Pig” Johnson led Arizona State (9-6 overall, 0-2 Big 12) with 24 points and big man Massamba Diop contributed 22, but most of that scoring came after the Cougars had the game well in hand.

BYU (14-1, 2-0), which has won 11 straight games for the first time since the 2009-10 season, will travel up I-15 on Saturday for an 8 p.m. MT tip at the Huntsman Center against in-state rival Utah. The Utes dropped to 8-7 overall and 0-2 in Big 12 play on Wednesday, falling at Colorado 85-73.