BYU Pulls Away From WVU For Blowout Win, Advances to Big 12 Quarterfinals

The Cougars are continuing their run in the Big 12 tournament. On Wednesday evening, the Cougars used a dominant defensive effort to take down the West Virginia Mountaineers 68-48.

This was a game that BYU controlled through most of the game. However, the Mountaineers hung around and made the game closer than it should have been until the final 10 minutes.

BYU took a lead with 12 minutes left in the first half and never trailed after that. The Mountaineers trimmed BYU's lead to 3 with 9 minutes remaining, then the Cougars went on another run and closed out the game. BYU outscored WVU 25-8 over the last 9 minutes and turned the game into a blowout.

Turnovers doomed WVU on the offensive end. The Mountaineers had 22 turnovers, the most turnovers BYU has forced in any game this season. 48 points was also the lowest scoring output of any BYU opponent this season.

AJ Dybantsa continues to shine in the Big 12 tournament. One day after breaking the Big 12 conference tournament single-game scoring record by a freshman, Dybantsa put up 27 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists against a stingy West Virginia defense.

Potential No. 1 pick AJ Dybantsa against West Virginia in the Big 12 tourney:

27 PTS | 7 REB | 3 AST | 2 STL pic.twitter.com/qezxefC7X4
— B/R Hoops (@brhoops) March 12, 2026

The best news of the day, however, was the performance of Kennard Davis. Davis scored 20 points on an efficient 7/11 from the field and a perfect 4/4 from three. Davis has played better and better as he grows into a larger role since the injury of Richie Saunders.

If BYU is going to make a run in the NCAA Tournament, it is going to depend on the role players. If Kennard Davis can score 15+ points in a game, the Cougars will have a chance to beat almost any team in the field.

After suffering a lacerated lip and losing a tooth against Kansas State in the first round, Rob Wright III was back in action on Wednesday. Wright had 11 points on 5/13 from the field.

BYU also got some great minutes from Dominique Diomande. Diomande played only 15 minutes, but he had 6 points and 3 steals in those 15 minutes. Diomande has averaged 3 steals per game in the Big 12 tournament, and he has carved out a role as a defensive stopper. He has also added a little offensive spark as well. All three of his field goals were dunks against the Mountaineers.

With the win over WVU, BYU advances to the quarterinals where they will take on Houston.