Byu Basketball Reboots Resume and Confidence With 79-69 Home Win Over #6 Iowa State
For the team most in need of a morale and resume boost, byu basketball delivered a sharp answer: a 79-69 home win over #6 Iowa State in Provo. The victory landed after the committee released its top 16 seeds earlier in the day — Iowa State listed as the fourth #1 seed — making the result both an emotional lift and a resume statement for BYU.
Immediate lift for the roster and tournament case
This win directly affects BYU's outlook: it provides a morale surge and a higher-profile résumé result against a top opponent. Here's the part that matters — beating a fourth #1 seed on your floor the same day the committee published the top 16 seeds changes how the season looks in both mood and matchups. The Cougs needed a signature performance, and the team effort supplied one.
Byu Basketball: how the game broke down
The scoreboard read 79-69 at the final horn in Provo. AJ Dybantsa was the engine, playing all 40 minutes and finishing just shy of a triple double with 29 points, 10 rebounds and 9 assists. His impact went beyond scoring; Dybantsa’s defense chased Iowa State sharpshooter Milan Momcilovic off screens all night, a factor in Momcilovic going 1-4 from three.
Rob Wright was quiet with just 6 points, while Kennard Davis paced other contributors with 17 points and shot 3-8 from three. Mihailo Boskovic made his second consecutive start and recorded a career-high 13 points. Off the bench, Khadim Mboup grabbed 10 rebounds, nine of those coming in the first half.
Team marks show BYU missed a lot of open looks from deep — 7-25 (28%) from three — but won the rebound battle 38-29 and limited turnovers against Iowa State’s pressure defense. Defensively the Cougs did enough from distance, holding Iowa State to 33% three-point shooting, and BYU outscored Iowa State in the paint 40-22. The win moved BYU to 20-7 on the season, and the team next hosts UCF Tuesday night in Provo.
Key takeaways and signals
- BYU’s interior advantage and rebounding (38-29) compensated for a cold night from long range (7-25).
- Dybantsa’s two-way presence — nearly a triple-double while guarding Milan Momcilovic — was decisive.
- Bench production, including Mboup’s 10 rebounds, showed depth in critical minutes.
- Holding a top shooting threat to 1-4 from three altered the opponent’s expected scoring plan.
- The committee’s earlier release of the top 16 seeds, listing Iowa State as the fourth #1 seed, raises the win’s resume value.
What’s easy to miss is how central Dybantsa’s on-ball work was to both ends of the floor: his defense directly limited Iowa State’s best perimeter threat while his playmaking and rebounding kept BYU ahead in possession battles.
Practical next steps and short-term outlook
BYU now turns attention to hosting UCF Tuesday night in Provo. The real question now is whether the Cougs can translate the same defensive focus and rebounding edge into consecutive home performances. If they protect the boards and keep turnovers low against pressure, the win over #6 Iowa State will look less like an outlier and more like a turning point for the season.
Timeline note: the committee released the top 16 seeds earlier the same day as the Provo game (Iowa State listed as the fourth #1 seed), and the game itself played out Saturday night in Provo. Details about next matchups and any roster updates are unclear in the provided context.
