Do, or do not: No. 11 Cougars figure out path in second half of close win vs. TCU
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- BYU forward AJ Dybantsa (3) brings the ball up the court against TCU forward David Punch (15) during the first half of an NCAA basketball game, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, in Provo, Utah.
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- BYU’s Richie Saunders drives to the basket against TCU in a Big 12 men’s basketball game at the Marriott Center on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026.
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- BYU’s Kennard Davis Jr. is defended by TCU’s Brock Harding in a Big 12 men’s basketball game at the Marriott Center on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026.
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- BYU’s Robert Wright III (1) goes up for a shot against TCU in a Big 12 men’s basketball game at the Marriott Center on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026.
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- BYU forward AJ Dybantsa, middle, drives to the basket against TCU forward Micah Robinson (5) and guard Jayden Pierre (1) during the first half of an NCAA basketball game, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, in Provo, Utah.
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- BYU forward AJ Dybantsa goes for a layup against TCU during the first half of an NCAA basketball game, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, in Provo, Utah.
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- BYU’s AJ Dybantsa goes up for a shot against TCU in a Big 12 men’s basketball game at the Marriott Center on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026.
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- BYU’s AJ Dybantsa takes a jump shot against TCU in a Big 12 men’s basketball game at the Marriott Center on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026.
As a second-half motivational tool, BYU men’s basketball head coach Kevin Young dipped into his bag for the NFL equivalent of a Star Wars quote from Yoda: “Do, or do not. There is no try.”
No, really.
No. 11 BYU outrebounded the Horned Frogs 30-13 in the second half and outscored the visitors 46-34, erasing a six-point halftime deficit for a hard-fought 76-70 Big 12 victory in front of a sellout crowd of 17,983 at the Marriott Center.
Young said he was tired of talking to his team about things they should be doing.
“Mike Tomlin {Pittsburgh Steelers head coach) said something after their playoff loss the other day,” Young said. “‘You either do or you don’t’ was his message. There are people that do and they are successful in life and there are people that don’t and they aren’t.”
BYU was a definite “don’t” in the first half, shooting a dismal 9 of 32 (28%) from the field to match a season-low.
The Cougars were a “do” in the second half, dominating the board and getting 17 points in an eight-minute span from freshman AJ Dybantsa, who was sick.
“It was a gut check-type of win for our group,” Young said. “It felt like anything that could wrong would go wrong. I felt like our whole team had four fouls. I thought AJ was going to die out there. They just found a way. He (Dybantsa) is a great player. We needed him and he stepped up.”
Dybantsa finished with a game-high 24 points with Richie Saunders going for 18 and Rob Wright III 15. But the three stars combined to shoot just 17 of 48 from the field (35%) and 4 of 16 (25%) from 3 against TCU’s sticky defense. However, the trio was 20 of 22 from the foul line and all contributed baskets at key times in the win.
The Cougars made 23 of 29 (79%) from the foul line in an unevenly officiated game that left both teams in foul trouble for much of the second half. BYU finished with a 51-36 rebound advantage that included 21 offensive boards, leading to a 24-11 edge in second-chance points.
“We had 21 offensive rebounds and that’s how you sustain shooting 35% from the field,” Young said. “I told the guys they should have confidence because we can win a lot of different ways.”
BYU led 25-24 on a Wright 3-pointer with 5:10 to play in the first half but the Horned Frogs went on a 12-3 run to lead 36-28 in the final minute of the half. Wright managed to race down the floor and draw a foul with one second to play, making both foul shots to trail 36-30 at the break.
It was the first time the Cougars trailed at the half since the Clemson game on Dec 9.
Xavier Edmonds sank a 3-pointer to open the second half for a 39-30 TCU lead. But BYU got unstuck offensively with 3-point plays from Dybantsa and Saunders, then a 3-pointer from Dybantsa to close to within two at 41-39.
Keba Keita got a tip-in to tie the game 41 and the Cougars took a 49-46 lead at the 13-minute mark on a 3-point play from Mahailo Boskovic. BYU led by as many as six points and looked to put the game away but TCU was up to the challenge, tying the score at 63 with 5:37 remaining.
Wright made a driving layup, then added a pair of free throws moments later for a four-point advantage at the 2:58 mark. After a defensive stop, Wright fed Saunders for a 3-pointer and it was 70-63 with 2:14 to play. The Cougars made enough free throws and defensive stops to get the win, their 12th victory in a row.
“Right from the jump it was just a grind,” Saunders said. “There are games like that where you’ve just got to figure out a way to win. It’s not pretty, but if you come out with a win, we’re good.”
Edmonds, the former Salt Lake Community College All-American, came into the game averaging 10.4 points but scored a team-high 19 for the Horned Frogs (11-6 overall, 1-3 Big 12). Former Cougar and UVU Wolverine Tanner Toolson played 27 minutes and scored seven points.
BYU (16-1, 4-0) makes its biggest Big 12 road trip of the season (so far) on Saturday, heading out to Lubbock to take on No. 15 Texas Tech. The Red Raiders are 13-4 overall and 3-1 in league play after beating Utah 88-74 on Wednesday.
