AJ Dybantsa powers BYU past West Virginia 68-48, setting up a Big 12 quarterfinal with No. 5 Houston

BYU forward AJ Dybantsa (3) puts up a shot over West Virginia guard Chance Moore (13) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the second round of the Big 12 Conference tournament Wednesday, March 11, 2026, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — AJ Dybantsa had 27 points in another brilliant Big 12 Tournament performance, Kennard Davis Jr. added 20 points, and No. 10 seed BYU beat seventh-seeded West Virginia 68-48 on Wednesday night to advance to the quarterfinal round.

Robert Wright III also had 11 points before a crowd that included BYU alum and Chiefs coach Andy Reid along with his quarterback, Patrick Mahomes — whose No. 16 Texas Tech plays seventh-ranked Iowa State in the first quarterfinal Thursday.

As for the Cougars (23-10), their second win in as many days earned them a quarterfinal matchup with fifth-ranked Houston.

Honor Huff had 17 points for West Virginia (18-14), which had beaten BYU a couple of weeks ago. Brenen Lorient finished with 11.

Dybantsa was downright dominant in the Cougars’ first-round win over Kansas State on Tuesday night, pouring in 40 points — three off the single-game Big 12 Tournament record set by Texas Tech’s Mike Singletary — to go with nine rebounds and six assists.

Nothing much changed against the Mountaineers.

Dybantsa gave BYU the lead for good with his bucket with 9:36 left in the first half, and that was just the start of the highlights. He scored on a myriad of Euro-step layups, pull-up jumpers and rim-rattling dunks. The most impressive came in the final minute of the half, when he stole the ball from Lorient and threw down a dunk while getting fouled.

The three-point play gave the Cougars a 31-23 at the break.

West Virginia was still within 47-42 after Chance Moore’s put-back dunk with 8:02 to go. But Wright scored at the other end for BYU, launching a 10-0 run over the next five minutes that sent the Cougars into the quarterfinal round.

Up next

BYU lost to second-seeded Houston in its only meeting on Feb. 7 in Provo, Utah.

The Mountaineers await their NCAA Tournament fate on Selection Sunday.

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