No. 8 BYU beats Villanova 71-66 to open season

No. 8 BYU opened its 2025-26 season with a 71-66 victory over Villanova on Monday night at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, handing the Wildcats an early test and giving the Cougars a signature nonconference win. The game served as the first of BYU's demanding national slate as the program enters Year 2 under head coach Kevin Young.

Freshman AJ Dybantsa led BYU with 21 points, adding six rebounds and three assists in his regular-season collegiate debut. Richie Saunders contributed 15 points and seven rebounds and Rob Wright III scored 14, giving the Cougars a trio of primary scorers that carried much of the load. Senior center Keba Keita had a strong defensive outing late, finishing with eight points, seven rebounds and three blocks and making several stops that helped close out the game.

BYU built a 14-point lead with under 18 minutes remaining but saw Villanova rally to take a one-point advantage with less than 10 minutes left. The Cougars answered with a decisive 10-0 run while holding Villanova scoreless for roughly six minutes spanning the game's final stretch. BYU committed just four turnovers, a stat observers noted as a key to steady offensive execution, though the team lost...