BYU came in expected to beat Dayton, but the game turned out to be a lot closer than people thought. It was back and forth most of the way until the Cougars finally pulled ahead with a strong push after halftime, hanging on for an 83–79 win. And at the center of it all was a trio that made the victory feel extra sweet for HC Kevin Young.

Young, hence, praised BYU’s trio, who combined for 70 of the team’s 83 points. “I thought Rob’s decision-making, Richie’s will to win is second to zero people in the country. This guy is just an absolute finds-a-way type of guy. I love that about him. I thought AJ’s poise down the stretch-he got some big buckets in the post, found Richie on the one skip pass, something we actually walked through in the ballroom this morning,” he said. 

“So it was good carryover,” Young added. “But I just thought it was Rob’s decision-making, Richie’s will to win, and AJ’s poise. There have been a couple of games this year where you guys have exploded in the second half.”

Richie Saunders had a season-high 29 points. Robert Wright added 23. AJ Dybantsa contributed another 18. And that’s how the Big 3 lifted the Cougars.

Saunders was locked in from the jump. When BYU struggled in the first half, he kept hitting big shots to keep his squad within reach. His most impressive work came in the second half, where he put on an offensive masterclass.

He dropped 21 points after the break, on nine field goal attempts. Overall, he also went 6-of-10 from three-point range and hit all five of his free throws. But his explosion wasn’t limited to just offense. As a result, he grabbed eight rebounds and collected three steals. 

And that’s why he became the MVP of the 2025 ESPN Events Invitational in Kissimmee, Florida. Helping Saunders throughout was Dybantsa. When BYU had a four-point lead, Dybantsa rose to the moment with 1:08 remaining. He buried a tough jumper. And that was enough to give the Cougars a two-possession cushion.

When Dayton tried to chip away at the lead, he got to the rim again, keeping BYU in front by five. Then, there was Wright, who buried 2 three-pointers, three free throws, and went 9-16 from the field. He also added six assists, three rebounds, and two steals. This outing marked the second time this season Wright III has scored 20 or more points, and the third of his career.

But it was the trio’s sequence and rhythm that really made the difference. Take just the first half, for example.

Dayton started the game with a quick 5–0 burst, scoring a layup and then a three. BYU finally answered when Wright III kicked it out to Kennard Davis Jr. for a three, but the Flyers kept attacking. Another layup and a dunk from Amael L’Etang pushed their lead to 9–3 a little over three minutes in.

BYU went cold for a bit, missing four straight shots before the first media timeout. Then Wright III and Saunders finally got things going. Wright III hit two mid-range jumpers back-to-back, and then he set up Saunders for two straight threes, pulling the Cougars even at 15.

But just as BYU found some rhythm, turnovers started creeping in, and Dayton made them pay. Javon Bennett knocked down two threes in a row to swing the momentum back. BYU didn’t score a field goal for almost six minutes until Dybantsa hit a jumper in the paint to tie it at 22 with a little over seven minutes left.

This synergy continued, fueling the Cougars’ longest run of the season-a 15–0 stretch after halftime. But, despite BYU’s 13-point lead, Dayton mounted a late comeback. The Flyers tied the game with four minutes left.  Still, the Cougars held on, going 7-of-11 from behind the arc in the second half, led by Saunders’ four triples. And that shooting proved to be the difference.

But is this second-half surge something new???

The Cougars have been following a similar pattern all season.

Under Kevin Young, BYU consistently comes out of halftime, looking like a completely different team. Even their last game versus Miami followed the same script. It was when the Cougars trailed by four at the break. They missed nine layups and struggled to contain the Hurricanes inside.

But after halftime, the Cougars went on a 30–12 run. They tied the game at 37 and hit six of their next seven shot attempts. They mounted a 10–0 run and didn’t allow a single Miami bucket for more than five minutes after the 42–40 scoreline. And that’s how the Cougars secured that win.

Once again against Dayton, the story remained the same. The Cougars opened the second half with a massive 26–4 run. That included 15 unanswered points after the Flyers began the period with a three-pointer. 

So yes, the Cougars have been following a clear pattern. Would it work against tougher opponents?