NCAA BASKETBALL: AJ Dybantsa drops 40 to lift BYU past K-State

AJ Dybantsa exploded for 40 points, while Kennard Davis Jr. added 15 points in the second half as BYU pulled away for a 105-91 win over Kansas State in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament on Tuesday night at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Mo.

The 10th-seeded Cougars (22-10) will face No. 7 West Virginia in the second round on Wednesday.

BYU turned a close contest into a rout in the second half. A 12-0 run, capped by a dunk from Khadim Mboup, gave the Cougars a 92-73 lead with 5:32 remaining. The run included a 3-pointer by Davis, who finished with four triples in the second half. After Kansas State made a layup to end the streak, BYU went on another 6-0 spurt and reached 100 points when Dybantsa made a pair of free throws with 3:30 left.

Dybantsa also contributed nine rebounds and six assists. Robert Wright III scored all 14 of his points in the first half.

For Kansas State (12-20), P.J. Haggerty led with 27 points. Nate Johnson added 19 points, including 14 in the first half, and Khamari McGriff scored 13 points.

The first half was a high-scoring, back-and-forth affair, with Kansas State shooting 62.1% and BYU 56.8%. The Cougars closed the half on a 7-0 run, including consecutive fast-break dunks by Dybantsa, to take a 50-49 lead into halftime.

BYU opened the second half with consecutive 3-pointers by Aleksej Kostic and Davis to extend the lead to 56-49, and they never trailed again. The Cougars finished shooting 54.8% from the field compared to Kansas State's 50.8%.

Kansas State will now focus on its coaching search after midseason firing of Jerome Tang. Matthew Driscoll served as interim coach, going 2-5 in seven games.

-Field Level Media/Reuters