No. 4 Arizona beats No. 23 BYU 75-68 after first 2 losses

Anthony Dell'Orso scores season-high 22 points off the bench as Wildcats bounce back

Feb. 23, 2026 at 11:07pm

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No. 4 Arizona bounced back from its first two losses of the season by beating No. 23 BYU 75-68 on Wednesday night. Anthony Dell'Orso scored a season-high 22 points off the bench, and Ivan Kharchenkov added 18 points for the Wildcats, who started the season with 23 straight wins before losing to No. 9 Kansas and No. 16 Texas Tech. BYU freshman star AJ Dybantsa led the Cougars with 33 points, but it wasn't enough as Arizona never trailed in the second half.

Why it matters

This was an important bounce-back win for Arizona, which had lost its first two games of the season after starting 23-0 and spending nine weeks ranked No. 1 in the country. The Wildcats needed to show they could respond to adversity, and this victory over a ranked opponent demonstrates their resilience.

The details

Arizona led by as many as 16 points in the second half before BYU cut the deficit to 73-68 with 1:05 remaining, but the Wildcats held on for the win. Dell'Orso's 3-pointer at the halftime buzzer gave Arizona a 42-35 lead at the break. The Wildcats played without starting forward Koa Peat and backup guard Dwayne Aristode, who were both out due to injury and illness, respectively.

  • Arizona led 42-35 at halftime on Wednesday, February 18, 2026.
  • Arizona took a 66-50 lead on Dell'Orso's 3-pointer with 6:40 left in the game on February 18, 2026.

The players

Anthony Dell'Orso

A 6-foot-6 Australian guard who came off the bench to score a season-high 22 points for Arizona.

Ivan Kharchenkov

An Arizona forward who scored 18 points in the win over BYU.

AJ Dybantsa

A freshman forward for BYU who led the Cougars with 33 points.

Koa Peat

An Arizona forward who missed the game due to a muscle strain and will also miss the team's next game against Houston.

Dwayne Aristode

An Arizona guard who missed his second straight game due to illness.

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What they’re saying

“This was an important bounce-back win for us after those first two losses. We showed we can respond to adversity.”

— Anthony Dell'Orso

What’s next

Arizona will play at No. 2 Houston on Saturday, February 22, 2026.

The takeaway

Arizona's ability to rebound from its first two losses of the season and defeat a ranked opponent like BYU demonstrates the Wildcats' resilience and potential to make a deep NCAA Tournament run despite the recent setbacks.