NCAA BASKETBALL: AJ Dybantsa shines again, lifts BYU past West Virginia

AJ Dybantsa continued his stellar play at the Big 12 tournament, scoring a game-high 27 points to lead BYU to a 68-48 victory over West Virginia on Wednesday night.

The 10th-seeded Cougars (23-10) advanced to the quarterfinals, where they will face second-seeded Houston, ranked No. 5 in the country, on Thursday night.

Dybantsa, one of the top NBA draft prospects, set a freshman tournament record with 40 points in BYU’s opening-round win over Kansas State on Tuesday. Against West Virginia, he finished 11-of-24 from the field with seven rebounds and three assists.

Kennard Davis Jr. contributed 20 points, scoring 17 in the second half, while Robert Wright III added 11 points and six assists for the Cougars.

West Virginia (18-14) was led by Honor Huff with 17 points. Brenen Lorient added 11 points and seven rebounds, Jasper Floyd scored nine points, and Chance Moore contributed seven points and seven rebounds.

BYU took control midway through the first half with a 12-1 run, highlighted by dunks from Dominique Diomande, who finished with six points and two rebounds. The Cougars carried a 31-23 lead into halftime, with Dybantsa scoring the final points of the half on a three-point play.

The Mountaineers cut the lead to three early in the second half, pulling within 43-40 on a Floyd jumper with 9:36 remaining. BYU answered with a 14-2 run, extending their advantage to 57-42 on a Davis layup at 4:15, eventually cruising to a 20-point win.

West Virginia committed a season-high 22 turnovers, and their 48 points matched a season-low, previously set in a 77-48 loss to Houston on Jan. 13.

-Field Level Media/Reuters