Dybantsa scores freshman record 43 in 91-78 win over Utah

AJ Dybantsa set a BYU freshman scoring record with 43 points, as #13 BYU completed a season sweep of rival Utah Saturday afternoon with a 91-78 victory at the Marriott Center. Dybantsa went 15 for 24 …

PROVO, Utah (ABC4 Sports) – AJ Dybantsa set a BYU freshman scoring record with 43 points, as #13 BYU completed a season sweep of rival Utah Saturday afternoon with a 91-78 victory at the Marriott Center.

Dybantsa went 15 for 24 from the floor and 9 for 10 from the free throw line for his first 40-point game. He surpassed Danny Ainge’s record for points in a game by a BYU freshman and added six rebounds, three assists and blocked a shot.

BYU’s 13-game win streak ends with 84-71 loss at Texas Tech

The 43 points is the sixth most in BYU history, and the most since Tyler Haws scored 48 in 2014. Jimmer Fredette owns the other five highest point totals in BYU history.

When did he know he was going to have a special night?

“When I had like 26, Tyler [Mruss] actually said, ‘Yo, you better get 40,” Dybantsa said. “I looked at the scoreboard and there was like 11 minutes left and I was like, I might be able to get it. I don’t know too much about the rivalry. I’m from Boston, but people were just talking about Utah the whole time, so I was like, I guess, I guess I’ll go off for y’all.”

“That was impressive,” BYU head coach Kevin Young said. This is a special, special player. I’ve said it a lot that he’s hands down the clear cut number one pick in the NBA draft.”

Rob Wright III finished with 21 points and Richie Saunders added 12 to help the Cougars (17-2, 5-1 Big 12) bounce back from an 84-71 loss to Texas Tech a week earlier. BYU shot 60% in the second half to pull away behind their freshman phenom.

“I’ve known him since I was like 16 years old,” Wright said. “So just to see him grow and just keep getting better and then go out there and get 40 points is just amazing.”

Keanu Dawes led Utah with 23 points and six rebounds. Terrence Brown chipped in 22 points and Don McHenry added 16 for the Utes (9-11, 1-6), who shot 62% from 3-point range.

“That’s very encouraging,” Dawes said. “Obviously, it’s hard to 62% every game, but I think it just shows what we’re capable of.”

Dybantsa drove for a layup to cap a 14-3 run that gave BYU a 69-56 lead with 9:56 left. Saunders fueled the run with back-to-back layups and a pair of free throws over three straight possessions.

Dybantsa scored four baskets over five possessions — a dunk and three 3-pointers — to extend the Cougars’ lead to 87-68 with 3:12 left.

McHenry had four baskets to fuel a 16-7 spurt that put Utah up 28-26 with 6:56 left in the first half. The Utes made seven straight baskets to erase a seven-point deficit after starting 0 for 7 from the field.

Dybantsa leads second half comeback in BYU’s 13th straight win

BYU scored on four of its final six possessions to take a 42-37 halftime lead. Dybantsa started and ended the run with baskets.

Even though this was the second time Utah played BYU tough, the Utes are done with moral victories.

“To be honest, it’s getting too late for four moral victories,” Brown said “We’ve got to win. The moral victories are getting old. We just got to start winning.”

“I think the first time this year I thought our guys quit at the end,” Utes head coach Alex Jensen said. “They felt defeated, which is kind of disheartening because I think we’ve always done a good job fighting and playing.”

BYU next hosts No. 1 Arizona on Monday, while Utah next hosts Oklahoma State on January 31st.

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Source: Utah News