BYU Rallies Past No. 10 Texas Tech in 82-76 Victory

Robert Wright III scores 23 of his 27 points in the second half to lead Cougars to upset win

Published on Mar. 8, 2026

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The BYU Cougars overcame a double-digit first-half deficit to defeat the 10th-ranked Texas Tech Red Raiders 82-76 in a Big 12 matchup. Robert Wright III scored 23 of his game-high 27 points in the second half to fuel BYU's comeback, while AJ Dybantsa added 21 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists. Texas Tech was led by Donovan Atwell and Christian Anderson, who scored 23 points each, but the Red Raiders were unable to hold on to their early lead.

Why it matters

This win is a significant boost for the BYU Cougars, who had lost three straight games entering Saturday's contest. Defeating a top-10 opponent at home will help strengthen their NCAA Tournament resume as they look to secure a bid. For Texas Tech, the loss is their second in a row and drops them to 12-6 in Big 12 play, putting their conference tournament seeding in jeopardy.

The details

BYU trailed by as many as 13 points in the first half, but a late surge before halftime cut the deficit to 46-38. The Cougars then erupted in the second half, with Wright scoring 23 points on 7-of-7 shooting to lead the comeback. BYU outscored Texas Tech 48-14 in the paint and 20-9 in second-chance points to secure the victory. The Red Raiders made 12 3-pointers in the first half but were unable to maintain that hot shooting in the second half.

  • The game was played on Saturday, March 7, 2026.

The players

Robert Wright III

A senior guard for the BYU Cougars who scored a game-high 27 points, including 23 in the second half, to lead his team to the upset victory.

AJ Dybantsa

A junior forward for the BYU Cougars who scored 21 points, grabbed 6 rebounds and dished out 4 assists in the win.

Donovan Atwell

A senior guard for the Texas Tech Red Raiders who scored a team-high 23 points in the losing effort.

Christian Anderson

A junior guard for the Texas Tech Red Raiders who also scored 23 points and added 9 assists.

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What they’re saying

“We must have been down by 13 or 14 points in the first half, but the guys never gave up. Robert Wright III took over in the second half and really sparked our comeback.”

— Mark Pope, BYU Head Coach (ESPN)

“We had them on the ropes early, but we just couldn't sustain that level of play in the second half. Credit to BYU, they made the plays down the stretch to get the win.”

— Mark Adams, Texas Tech Head Coach (ESPN)

What’s next

BYU will face 15th-seeded Kansas State in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament on Tuesday, while Texas Tech is the No. 4 seed and gets a double bye into the quarterfinals on Thursday.

The takeaway

This comeback victory for BYU demonstrates the team's resilience and ability to overcome adversity. The Cougars proved they can compete with and defeat top-tier opponents, which will be crucial as they look to secure an NCAA Tournament berth. For Texas Tech, the loss is a setback, but they still have an opportunity to improve their seeding in the Big 12 Tournament and make a deep postseason run.