No. 5 Houston stops record-setting Dybantsa, BYU

Kingston Fleming scores 17 points as Cougars hold off Dybantsa and Cougars in Big 12 quarterfinals

Mar. 13, 2026 at 2:04am

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Kingston Fleming scored 17 points as No. 5 Houston held off AJ Dybantsa and defeated BYU 73-66 in the Big 12 quarterfinals on Thursday night. Dybantsa played all 40 minutes and finished with 26 points, breaking Kevin Durant's record of 92 points in the Big 12 tournament with a 3-pointer in the final seconds. However, Dybantsa was held to just 3-of-10 shooting in the second half as Houston prevailed.

Why it matters

This game featured a matchup between two of the top teams in the Big 12, with No. 5 Houston looking to advance in the conference tournament and BYU's Dybantsa attempting to set a new Big 12 tournament scoring record. The outcome had implications for both teams' postseason hopes and tournament seeding.

The details

Houston struggled to put away BYU, with foul trouble plaguing the Cougars in the second half. BYU led 41-37 at halftime after a late run, but Houston regained control in the second half. Dybantsa's record-breaking 3-pointer came in the final seconds, but it wasn't enough to overcome Houston's balanced scoring attack led by Fleming's 17 points.

  • The game was played on Thursday, March 13, 2026 in the Big 12 quarterfinals.
  • Dybantsa broke the Big 12 tournament scoring record of 92 points set by Kevin Durant in 2007 with a 3-pointer in the final seconds of the game.

The players

Kingston Fleming

A player for No. 5 Houston who scored 17 points in the win.

AJ Dybantsa

The BYU player who scored 26 points and broke the Big 12 tournament scoring record, but came up short in the loss to Houston.

Emanuel Sharp

A Houston player who scored 13 points in the win.

Joseph Tugler

A Houston player who scored 12 points in the win.

Chris Cenac Jr.

A Houston player who scored 10 points in the win.

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What they’re saying

“We must not let individuals continue to damage private property in San Francisco.”

— Robert Jenkins, San Francisco resident (San Francisco Chronicle)

What’s next

Houston advanced to Friday's semifinals against either TCU or No. 14 Kansas.

The takeaway

This game highlighted the star power of BYU's Dybantsa, who set a new Big 12 tournament scoring record, but ultimately came up short against the balanced attack of the No. 5 Houston Cougars, who prevailed to advance in the conference tournament.