BYU Ends K-State's Season in Big 12 Tournament

Freshman AJ Dybantsa scores Big 12 Tournament record 40 points in 105-91 win

Mar. 11, 2026 at 4:25am

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Freshman AJ Dybantsa scored a Big 12 Tournament freshman record 40 points to lead 10-seed BYU to a 105-91 win over Kansas State in the first round of the Phillips 66 Big 12 Tournament. The loss ends K-State's season at 12-20 overall. Junior P.J. Haggerty led the Wildcats with 27 points, tying for the second-most in a Big 12 Tournament game for K-State.

Why it matters

This game marked the end of the season for Kansas State, which finished with just 12 wins, the fewest since the 2020-21 season. The Wildcats struggled throughout the year, but were able to put together a strong offensive performance in the tournament loss. The 40-point outburst by BYU's Dybantsa was also historic, setting a new freshman tournament record.

The details

BYU shot 54.8% from the field and scored 50 points in the paint to pull away from K-State in the second half. The Wildcats kept it close in the first half, erasing a 10-point deficit to take a 49-43 lead, but the Cougars scored the final 7 points before halftime to go up 50-49. BYU then scored the first 6 points of the second half to regain control. K-State cut the deficit to 3 points midway through the half, but the Cougars responded with a 22-6 run to pull away.

  • K-State's season ended on March 10, 2026 with the loss to BYU in the Big 12 Tournament.
  • Dybantsa's 40 points set a new Big 12 Tournament freshman record, surpassing the previous mark of 37 by Texas' Kevin Durant in 2007.

The players

AJ Dybantsa

A freshman at BYU who scored a Big 12 Tournament record 40 points in the win over Kansas State.

P.J. Haggerty

A junior at Kansas State who scored 27 points in the loss, tying for the second-most by a Wildcat in a Big 12 Tournament game.

Nate Johnson

A senior at Kansas State who scored 19 points, including 5 3-pointers, in the season-ending defeat.

Khamari McGriff

A senior at Kansas State who scored 13 points off the bench in the tournament game.

C.J. Jones

A senior at Kansas State who scored 10 points in the loss to BYU.

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What they’re saying

“40 points is just an incredible performance, especially for a freshman in the Big 12 Tournament. AJ really carried us tonight.”

— Kevin Young, BYU Head Coach

What’s next

BYU will advance to face 7-seed West Virginia in the second round of the Big 12 Tournament on Wednesday night.

The takeaway

This loss caps a disappointing season for Kansas State, which finished with just 12 wins, the fewest since 2020-21. However, the Wildcats showed fight in their tournament performance, nearly erasing a double-digit deficit before BYU pulled away late. The emergence of junior P.J. Haggerty as a go-to scorer provides hope for the future, but the Wildcats have work to do to return to the NCAA Tournament.