Where did it all go wrong for BYU against UCF?

It's one thing to lose at home, but it's another to lose the way BYU did last night. In a game where the Cougars didn't lead for a single second, it was an absymal performance from start to finish in a crushing 97-84 loss against UCF in Provo.

Coming off a huge win against Iowa State, BYU came out completely flat against UCF on the same floor. No team in the Big 12 can be overlooked, especially a UCF squad that boasts wins against Texas Tech and Kansas and was a projected tournament team heading into the game.

So where did it all go wrong?

BYU was outmatched in nearly every statistical category. They were outscored, outrebounded, and outhustled. It was the antithesis of their performance versus Iowa State.

Stat	BYU	UCF
FG%	41%	56%
FGs	29-71	36-64
3FG%	33%	58%
3FGs	9-27	14-24
Turnovers	9	15
Assists	11	25
Rebounds	34	40
Defensive Rebounds	22	32
Offensive Rebounds	12	8
Points in the Paint	34	44
Fastbreak Points	14	19

Offensively, it was a poor shooting night. BYU shot just 31% from the field in the first half and 27% from three against a UCF team ranked 97th in defensive efficiency, according to KenPom.

The Cougars improved to 50% shooting in the second half, but the damage was already done. They trailed by 24 at halftime, and the deficit grew to 36 before any meaningful pushback. Even with 15 turnovers from the Knights, BYU was unable to capitalize and never seriously threatened to climb back into the game.

BYU missed several wide-open looks but also struggled with shot selection, forcing attempts and disrupting their offensive rhythm.

Defensively, the issues were even more glaring. The Cougars repeatedly went under screens, missed assignments, and over-hedged, leaving UCF with open perimeter looks and easy baskets in the paint. BYU also had a poor showing on the boards, having 10 fewer defensive rebounds than UCF.

During the postgame press conference, head coach Kevin Young didn't mince words.

"We were sleepwalking out there," Young said. "Super disappointed in our guys. Super disappointed in myself and our coaches. It just was a night that wasn't good all around. There was just every breakdown that you could possibly imagine."

When asked specifically about BYU's perimeter defense, Young was even more blunt. "There was none," he said.

The numbers reflected that. UCF made its third-most triples in a game this season and posted its second-best three-point percentage of the year.

Later in the press conference, AJ Dybantsa was asked how the absence of Richie Saunders has affected the team. "He was definitely a vocal leader," Dybantsa said. "He led by example as well, obviously being an upperclassman. Since he's gone, KY has been challenging me to try and step into that role."

Speaking on the second half performance, he added: "It was just a lack of effort. I think we just got lazy, and they kind of took advantage of it."

Last night was a good reminder that there are no days off in the Big 12. This time of year, every team needs wins to either make it to the Big Dance or improve their seeding for it. There are no easy wins.

Performances like this can have painful consequences in March. BYU has to quickly move on from this one and rally together before things start to spiral the rest of the regular season.