PROVO, Utah — AJ Dybantsa had 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 victory over a top 10 opponent this season.
Kennard Davis Jr. added 17 points, and Mihailo Boskovic had 13 for the Cougars (20-7, 8-6 Big 12). They outscored Iowa State 40-22 in the paint and had a 39-28 edge 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 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. According to ESPN Research, he is averaging 28.2 points in the Cougars past five matchups against AP top 10 opponents.
“AJ can do whatever he wants on a basketball court. Whatever he puts his mind to, he can do,” Young said. And Iowa State coach T.J. Otzelberger concurred.
“He’s obviously a really tough cover. I mean, his size, with his ball skills, his ability to pass and create an advantage, get the spots and make shots, is truly unique,” Otzelberger said. “I mean it’s up there with anybody 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 tabbed as a 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 on the day to suffer a loss.
Iowa State whittled a double-digit deficit to a basket, drawing to 57-54 on Lipsey’s 3-pointer with 7:21 left.
Dybantsa and Davis scored back-to-back baskets at the rim to quell the rally. It marked the beginning of a 13-3 run that made it 70-57 with 3:33 remaining.
Rob Wright III bookended 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.
