Heartbreak at the Marriott Center.
BYU was unable to complete a wild comeback, falling to No. 1 Arizona 86-83 on Monday night.
The Cougars, who suffered their first loss in Provo since February 2025, are now 17-3 on the season and 5-2 in Big 12 play.
3 points
BYU’s belated comeback attempt failed. Similar to their loss to UConn in November, the Cougars struggled for much of the game and didn’t produce some magic until the end.
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BYU trailed by 19 points in the second half and 10 in the final minute, but Kevin Young’s men went on an 11-2 run in 40 seconds to cut the deficit to just one point.
The Cougars had a chance to win the game after a timeout with 12 seconds left, but Rob Wright III missed on a contested layup — though some may have thought he was fouled there — and the Wildcats clinched the victory.
Brayden Burries and Jaden Bradley vs. BYU. Entering Monday, many fans’ eyes were focused on the showdown between star freshmen AJ Dybantsa and Koa Peat.
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Instead, Arizona State’s other stud freshman and his backcourt counterpart stole the show.
Burris and Bradley combined for 55 points, including 36 before halftime. The two shot a combined 60.7% from the field, hit 4 three-pointers, sent out 7 assists and grabbed 8 rebounds.
BYU’s offense responded well in the second half, which was encouraging considering Arizona State’s elite defense. The Cougars scored 15 points in the first five minutes of the game and it looked like tonight’s game might turn into a shootout.
But Arizona’s best defense in the Big 12 quickly turned the tables, holding BYU to just 16 points in the final 15 minutes of the first half.
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However, after halftime, the Cougars adjusted well and went one better, scoring 52 points.
BYU first half: 33.3% shooting from the field, 21.4% from the three-point range, 9 turnovers, zero turnovers, and 0.838 points per possession.
BYU second half: shot 46.2% from the field, 50% from three-point range, had 3 turnovers, and scored 13 points from turnovers. 1.41 points per possession.
Arizona is an obvious buzz saw. There is no better team in the country.
BYU still has a lot to improve upon in order to become a legitimate Final Four and national championship contender. The mountain lions haven’t arrived yet. The gap between the Wildcats and BYU was pretty wide for most of the night.
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But the Cougars have refused to surrender multiple times this year, nearly stealing a historic win in the process. This fight means something. Yang and his team can solve this problem.
