BYU couldn't sustain its strong start and lost steam in the end against Houston, absorbing the painful loss, 73-66, in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Tournament at T-Mobile Center on Thursday.
The 10th-seeded BYU led at halftime, 41-37, until the second-seeded Houston displayed the physicality that has worked for them all season.
Houston held AJ Dybantsa to just 3-of-10 field goals in the second half after he scored 17 points in the first 20 minutes. He finished with 26 points, five rebounds, two assists, and five turnovers.
BYU coach Kevin Young accepted their defeat, but he lamented the lack of foul calls for Dybantsa and Robert Wright III. BYU and Houston were whistled for 20 fouls and 17 fouls, respectively.
“I'll just cut to the chase right out of the gate. AJ took 10 free throws, Rob Wright took four, and I will never go there, and again, Houston beat us, stone-cold beating. They won the game,” said Young in a video posted by KTVX's Dana Greene.
“But AJ should've shot 20 free throws minimum in that game. Rob Wright only shoots four free throws? The guy drives every time.”
Kevin Young was not happy with the way the game was called in BYU's 73-66 loss to Houston Thursday night in the Big 12 Tournament. pic.twitter.com/JoYSQv1ueK
— Dana Greene (@dana_greene) March 13, 2026
Houston shot 20 free throws, just one more than BYU. Both teams sank 16 charities.
In the regular season, Dybantsa and Wright averaged 8.4 free throws and 4.2 free throws, respectively.
Young clarified that he was not implying that the referees purposely favored Houston, but he was not happy with how they officiated the game.
“I thought they flat-out missed calls. Bottom line,” added Young, who is in his second year at BYU.
Wright finished with 15 points, two rebounds, five assists, and five turnovers.
BYU will now hope to get a berth in the NCAA Tournament.
