BYU travelled across the country to a UConn-dominant crowd and nearly completed a 20-point second half comeback in a 86-84 loss to #3 UConn. UConn went ahead 59-39 with under 15 minutes to go before AJ Dybantsa took over and showed why he could be the #1 pick in the NBA Draft. After a dismal first half from AJ where he couldn’t get comfortable offensively, he showed his wide array of offensive moves and led a comeback that put UConn on its heels. BYU had the ball down three with under 20 seconds to go, but Rob Wright dribbled the ball off his leg and UConn held on.
This was a loss for BYU, but if moral victories are a thing this was certainly that. Keba Keita played only eight minutes after taking a shoulder to the jaw and Kennard Davis was out due to a “violation of team rules”, but BYU fought through and showed that they have Final Four potential against a UConn team that will compete for a national championship.
AJ Dybantsa led all scorers with 25 points, Richie Saunders had 17 points, Rob Wright scored 16, and Dawson Baker came off the bench to score 16 points. For the second consecutive game, BYU’s offense came alive in the second half. BYU scored 52 points in the second half and 32 in the first.
Below are some of my takeaways and observations from the game.