BYU Cougars Surge Into Big 12 Tournament With Momentum

Cougars rally from 13-point deficit to defeat No. 10 Texas Tech, boosting NCAA Tournament hopes

Published on Mar. 9, 2026

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BYU's men's basketball team rallied from a 13-point first half deficit to defeat No. 10 Texas Tech 82-76 on Saturday, marking their seventh Quad 1 win of the season. The victory came after the Cougars had lost their previous three games, raising doubts about their NCAA Tournament prospects despite a strong NET ranking and six Quad 1 wins. The question now is which BYU team will show up in the postseason - the one that looked like a contender against Texas Tech, or the one that struggled in recent losses.

Why it matters

BYU's win over Texas Tech was a crucial bounce-back victory that kept the Cougars' NCAA Tournament hopes alive. The Cougars have finished at .500 or better in all three of their seasons as a member of the Big 12 Conference, a remarkable feat for a program new to the league. This game highlighted the team's ability to rally and overcome adversity, which will be crucial as they enter postseason play.

The details

BYU trailed by 13 points in the first half but rallied to defeat Texas Tech 82-76. Point guard Rob Wright scored 23 of his game-high 27 points in the second half to lead the comeback. The win marked BYU's seventh Quad 1 victory of the season and their second over a top-10 opponent, having also upset then-No. 6 Iowa State two weeks ago.

  • BYU defeated Texas Tech 82-76 on Saturday, March 9, 2026.
  • The Cougars will face Kansas State in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament on Tuesday, March 12, 2026 at 5 p.m. MDT.

The players

Kevin Young

The head coach of the BYU Cougars men's basketball team.

Rob Wright

BYU's starting point guard, who scored 23 of his game-high 27 points in the second half to lead the Cougars' comeback against Texas Tech.

AJ Dybantsa

BYU's leading scorer, who is currently ranked No. 1 in the country in points per game at 24.7.

Mihailo Boskovic

A reserve forward for BYU who was honored on Senior Night along with three other players.

PJ Haggerty

The fourth-leading scorer in the country at 23.3 points per game, who plays for BYU's first-round opponent, Kansas State.

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What they’re saying

“Just (from) my experience of postseason basketball, whether it's March Madness or the NBA playoffs, is you just have to rely on your habits. You can't come out and do something uncharacteristic. You got to rely on what's gotten you to that point, do what you're good at, do your job, and ultimately if you do that, then you're able to execute, and hopefully that leads to wins.”

— Kevin Young, Head Coach (Yahoo Sports)

“We've been through a rough little patch out there, but after this win, I feel like we kind of regained our wave, and now we're getting ready for the conference (tournament) and the NCAA Tournament.”

— Mihailo Boskovic, Reserve Forward (Yahoo Sports)

What’s next

If BYU defeats Kansas State in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament on Tuesday, they will face West Virginia in the second round on Wednesday. The winner of that game will then meet No. 2 seed Houston in the quarterfinals on Thursday.

The takeaway

BYU's comeback win over Texas Tech showed the Cougars' resilience and ability to bounce back from recent struggles. As they enter the postseason, the team will need to rely on the habits and strengths that have carried them to this point in order to make a deep run in the Big 12 Tournament and secure a favorable NCAA Tournament seed.