SALT LAKE CITY –
The 267th meeting between No. 9 BYU and Utah delivered another chapter worthy of the rivalry Saturday night at the Jon M. Huntsman Center.
The Cougars snapped a three-game losing streak in the series, holding off the Utes 89-84 in a hostile environment.
“It’s amazing,” said Richie Saunders, the Riverton, Utah, native. “To come up short in overtime, lose by one, lose by two, to be able to finish this one is amazing.”
In his final game at the Huntsman Center, Saunders recorded his third career double-double, scoring 24 points on 9-of-16 shooting while grabbing 14 rebounds, which matched his career-high. He scored 17 of his 24 points in the second half, propelling No. 9 BYU (15-1, 3-0 Big 12) to its 12th straight win.
Entering Saturday’s matchup, Saunders averaged 14.5 points per game in his first two trips to Salt Lake City, shooting 44% from the field, 40% from 3-point range and 42.9% from the free throw line.
Late-game tension resurfaced when BYU missed four consecutive free throws on one-and-one opportunities, allowing Utah to trim a 12-point deficit to a one-possession game with 3 minutes remaining.
Utah (8-8, 0-3 Big 12) transfers Terrence Brown and Don McHenry led the Utes, combining for 46 points. Brown had a chance to tie the game in the closing seconds but turned the ball over in the corner with 8.9 seconds left, setting up BYU to seal the win at the free-throw line.
Robert Wright added 23 points, while AJ Dybantsa finished with 20 points, marking his ninth consecutive game scoring 20 or more and his 11th this season.
Dybantsa went 6 of 11 from the field and did much of his damage at the foul line. The projected top-three pick in the 2026 NBA Draft drew 10 fouls, attempted 12 free throws and made eight.
“Boy, that was crazy. That was super hostile,” Dybantsa said. “Besides my high school days and that rivalry, that’s probably the most hostile environment I’ve been in. That was a welcome to the Big 12.”
BYU improved to 9–0 this season and 21–3 overall when Saunders scores 20 or more points, marking the ninth time he has reached that mark in his final collegiate season.
The Cougars now turn their attention to TCU, which will visit the Marriott Center on a two-game losing streak in conference play. Tipoff is scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 14, at 9 p.m. MST.
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