PROVO, Utah – AJ Dybantsa scored 29 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists to help No. 23 BYU defeat No. 6 Iowa State 79-69 on Saturday night for its first win over a top-10 opponent this season.
Kennard Davis Jr. added 17 points and Mihailo Boskovic scored 13 for the Cougars (20-7, 8-6 Big 12). They outscored Iowa State 40-22 in the paint and had a 39-28 advantage on the glass.
“He's showing people night in and night out how reliable he is,” BYU coach Kevin Young said of Dybantsa. “What I liked about him tonight is that he did it on both ends of the floor…I thought it was his most complete game of the season.”
Dybantsa has been scoring at an elite level against ranked competition all season long. According to ESPN Research, he is averaging 28.2 points in the Cougars' last five matchups against AP Top 10 opponents.
“AJ can do whatever he wants on the basketball court. Anything he sets his mind to, he can do,” Young said. And Iowa State coach TJ Otzelberger agreed.
“He's obviously a very tough coverage. I mean, his size, with his ball skills, his ability to pass and create a lead, find the points and make shots, he's really unique,” Otzelberger said. “I mean he's on par with anyone in the country, that's for sure.”
Tamin Lipsey led the Cyclones (23-4, 10-4) with 19 points. Jamarion Batemon added 14 and Joshua Jefferson had 13 points, eight rebounds and seven assists.
Iowa State was listed as the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament selection committee's reveal of the top 16 teams in the bracket earlier Saturday. The Cyclones were the fifth top-10 team of the day to suffer a loss.
Iowa State cut a double-digit deficit to one basket, tying it at 57-54 on Lipsey's 3-pointer with 7:21 left.
Dybantsa and Davis scored consecutive baskets at the rim to quell the reaction. It marked the beginning of a 13-3 run that made the score 70-57 with 3:33 left.
Rob Wright III capped a 13-0 run with a pair of layups that put BYU up 37-25 in the final minute before halftime. The Cougars attacked the rim throughout the first half and outscored Iowa State 22-6 in the paint over the first 20 minutes.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
