UConn Survives Dominant Second Half From BYU’s AJ Dybantsa
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The UConn Huskies survived a thrilling challenge from BYU, escaping with an 86-84 victory despite a dominant second-half surge from freshman sensation AJ Dybantsa.
The Huskies controlled most of the game but had to hold off a furious rally led by the nation's top recruit, who showcased why he's projected as the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
Does AJ Dybantsa Always Save His Best for Last?
There's a clear pattern emerging in Dybantsa's early college career. The five-star freshman has developed a reputation for slow starts followed by explosive second halves.
Against UConn, Dybantsa scored just 4 points in the opening 20 minutes, letting teammates like Robert Wright III and Richie Saunders handle the offense. But the second half was a completely different story.
Dybantsa erupted for 21 points after halftime, finishing with a game-high 25 points on 8-of-14 shooting. He displayed smooth drives to the basket with incredible body control and footwork. His ability to create scoring opportunities in traffic was remarkable, constantly attacking UConn's defense with crafty layups and mid-range jumpers.
This isn't the first time we've seen this pattern. In his college debut against Villanova, Dybantsa turned up the intensity in the second half to lead BYU to victory. Against UNC in a preseason game, he scored 11 first-half points before finishing with 18 total. The freshman seems to use the opening period to read defenses before taking over late.
Even with less than a minute remaining against UConn, Dybantsa drained a clutch three-pointer to cut the deficit to 82-79, keeping BYU's hopes alive until the final buzzer.
UConn's Balanced Attack Proves Too Much
Despite Dybantsa's heroics, UConn's depth and efficiency made the difference. The Huskies shot an impressive 57% from the field compared to BYU's 49%.
Alex Karaban and Tarris Reed Jr. each scored 21 points to lead UConn's balanced attack. Karaban went 8-of-11 from the floor, while Reed dominated inside with an 8-of-10 performance and 8 rebounds. Silas Demary Jr. added another 21 points with excellent playmaking.
UConn's 21 assists compared to BYU's 7 showed superior ball movement and team chemistry. The Huskies' bench also outscored BYU 10-2, demonstrating their superior depth.
Richie Saunders struggled for BYU with just 4 points on 2-of-8 shooting after averaging over 20 points per game entering the contest. Robert Wright III contributed 16 points and 4 assists but couldn't provide enough secondary scoring.
UConn improved to 4-0 on the season, while BYU fell to 3-1 despite Dybantsa's remarkable second-half performance.
Jayesh Pagar is currently pursuing Sports Journalism from the London School of Journalism and brings four years of experience in sports media coverage. He has contributed extensively to NBA, WNBA, college basketball, and college football content.