Behind Robert Wright III’s career-high 30 points, No. 22 BYU defeated the Bears of Baylor 99-94 at the Foster Pavilion on Tuesday night.

Baylor transfer Wright III posted a career-high 30 points on 12-of-21 shooting from the field. He also went 2-of-5 from 3-point range and added four steals, four rebounds and three assists. This marked Wright III’s eighth 20-plus point performance of the season.

AJ Dybantsa recorded 36 points on 14-of-20 shooting and made 7-of-8 free throws. The true freshman also contributed seven assists, five rebounds and one steal. The Dybantsa-Wright III duo became the first BYU pair to each reach 30 points in a game since Jan. 14, 1984, when Devin Durrant scored 34 and Brett Applegate had 32 in a 113-105 win over Utah.

Richie Saunders came close to a double-double with 15 points and nine rebounds, while Khadim Mboup added 10 boards, one block and one steal. Kennard Davis Jr. scored all 12 of his points in the second half including going 6-of-7 from the free throw line to seal the Cougars first victory in Waco. 

BYU forced 13 Baylor turnovers, which led to 24 points off turnovers, and scored 64 points in the paint.

First Half
The Bears got on the board first with a 3-pointer, but BYU answered with a 7-0 run fueled by a Keba Keita dunk, a Saunders jumper and a three from Wright III. Baylor fought back with back-to-back threes, finishing 3-of-4 from beyond the arc in the opening 3:38 of play before a media timeout.

Dybantsa sparked the Cougars out of the timeout, knocking down four jumpers. The Bears extended their advantage to eight nearly midway through the half, converting on an and-one jumper before adding another basket on their next possession.

An 11-2 Baylor run, capped by two more 3-pointers, forced BYU to call a timeout. Bear turnovers helped propel a 7-0 Cougar run, led by Dybantsa and Wright III, which cut the deficit to 33-28 with 5:50 left.

Tounde Yessoufou was awarded three free throws on a 3-point shooting foul, and he capitalized on all of them. On BYU’s next possession, Wright III answered with a wing 3-pointer off an assist from Dybantsa.

Trio Wright III-Saunders-Dybantsa powered a 8-0 run to close the half. Saunders and Dybantsa each drew fouls and converted two charity shots apiece, while Wright III added two jumpers, tying the game at 41 heading into the locker room.

Second Half
After opening the half with a dunk, Dybantsa then ignited a 9-0 Cougar run with an and-one jumper. Mboup then blocked a Bear 3-pointer attempt, and Wright III followed with a jumper off the turnover. On Baylor’s next possession, Saunders snatched the ball and finished a fast-break layup. The Riverton, Utah product denied another 3-ball attempt, setting up Kennard Davis Jr. for a jumper to cap the sequence.

Davis Jr., Mboup and Saunders then combined for a 6-0 run before a fouled basket allowed Baylor to convert on a 3-point play. The Cougars maintained their momentum, extending their lead to 65-56 with 11:24 on the clock.

Wright III and Dybantsa continued to lead BYU, driving a 10-2 run in under three minutes. The sophomore scored the first five points of the run with a fast-break bucket and an and-one jumper, giving the Cougars a 17-point lead with 4:18 remaining.

Baylor tried to mount a late comeback, responding with a 10-2 run of their own led by Yessoufou. Just over a minute later, BYU fouled Baylor on consecutive possessions, and the Bears went 4-of-4 from the line, cutting the deficit to 90-85 with 58 seconds left.

The final stretch became a free-throw battle, with both teams trading trips to the charity stripe, but the Cougars held on to secure a 99-94 victory.

Up Next
BYU returns home for a Valentine’s Day matinee against the Colorado Buffaloes on Saturday at 2 p.m. MST. Watch broadcast live on FS1 or listen to live play-by-play with Greg Wrubell on BYU Radio.