Dybantsa scores 25 as No. 11 BYU rallies in 2nd half for 76-70 win over TCU

PROVO, Utah (AP) — AJ Dybantsa scored 17 of his 25 points in the second half as No. 11 BYU surged past TCU for a 76-70 victory Wednesday night.

Richie Saunders had 18 points and Robert Wright III added 15 points, six rebounds and six assists to help the Cougars (16-1, 4-0 Big 12) win their 13th consecutive game.

Xavier Edmonds led the Horned Frogs (11-6, 1-3) with 19 points and eight rebounds. Micah Robinson had 10 points and six boards off the bench.

TCU lost its third straight and dropped to 1-4 against Top 25 opponents.

BYU struggled on offense in the first half and didn’t make a 3-pointer until Wright connected with 5:18 left. The Cougars went 1 of 11 from long distance before halftime and trailed 36-30 at the break.

The game began to turn in BYU’s favor during a 9-0 run midway through the second. The spurt featured two finishes through contact by Dybantsa and a 3-pointer from Mihailo Boskovic.

Saunders, who went 1 for 6 from beyond the arc, hit his only 3 with 2:14 remaining to give the Cougars a 70-63 lead. Keba Keita had a block with 1:11 left to seal the win and finished with 10 rebounds.

Up next

TCU plays at Utah on Saturday.

BYU visits No. 15 Texas Tech on Saturday.

___

Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP mobile app). AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball