Dybantsa Leads No. 10 BYU to Dominant Win Over UC Riverside.

BYU Photo

PROVO, Utah — AJ Dybantsa delivered an outstanding all-around performance as No. 10 Brigham Young University defeated UC Riverside 100–53 on Saturday night, extending the Cougars’ winning streak to six games. Dybantsa finished with 26 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists to lead BYU (9–1). Richie Saunders contributed 19 points, rebounding from his poorest shooting night of the season earlier in the week. Alexsej Kostic added a career-high 15 points, connecting on five three-pointers, while Khadim Mboup recorded career highs with 12 points and 10 rebounds. BYU dominated in every phase of the game, scoring 20 points off 18 UC Riverside turnovers and outpacing the Highlanders 29–6 in fast-break points. The Cougars also controlled the paint with a 56–24 advantage and shot an efficient 59 percent from the field. Andrew Henderson led UC Riverside (5–6) with 14 points, while BJ Kolly added 12. However, the Highlanders struggled to keep pace with BYU’s tempo and depth. Saunders, who had scored only five points in a narrow win over Clemson earlier in the week, came out aggressively.

He scored 15 first-half points on 6-of-10 shooting, including four baskets in the opening four minutes that helped BYU jump out to a 15–5 lead. Kostic, a freshman guard, provided a spark off the bench by knocking down three three-pointers before halftime, helping the Cougars build a 37–18 lead. Prior to the game, Kostic had totaled just 13 points across his first six collegiate appearances. BYU put the game out of reach midway through the second half with a decisive 30–5 run, highlighted by baskets on 13 consecutive possessions.

Dybantsa scored on five of those possessions and assisted on four others as the Cougars pushed their lead to 83–42 with just over nine minutes remaining. UC Riverside will return home to host Stanton on Tuesday, while BYU will remain in Provo to face Pacific the same night.