Robert Wright III scored 33 points to lead No. 25 BYU to a 94-83 victory over Ohio State on Monday, November 2, 2026, at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City. The Cougars overcame a double-digit halftime deficit by shooting 69% from the field in the second half to secure the win in front of 10,422 fans.
Slow Start for Cougars
The Cougars struggled to find offensive rhythm early in the contest. Ten minutes into the game, BYU had scored only ten points, and the team missed eight of its first nine three-point attempts. Ohio State utilized this early advantage to build an 11-point lead, reaching as high as 24-13 before halftime.
BYU managed to cut the deficit to 37-34 before the break after Nate Pickens converted a three-pointer in the final seconds of the first half. Despite the slow start, BYU found offensive efficiency in the second half, outscoring the Buckeyes 60-46 to secure the win.
Wright Leads Offensive Surge
Robert Wright III anchored the second-half surge, scoring 19 of his 33 points after the halftime break. Wright finished the game shooting 4-for-5 from the three-point line and 11-for-12 from the free-throw line, while also contributing five assists with only one turnover.
Other BYU starters contributed significantly to the victory. Collin Chandler and Tyler Betsey each scored 15 points, while Bruce Branch III recorded 12 points in his college debut. Jaxon Kohler contributed 11 points, including nine of his points during the second half.
Buckeyes' Performance
Ohio State saw a strong performance from Amare Bynum, who recorded 20 points and four assists. Bynum briefly left the game at the start of the second half due to a suspected rolled right ankle but returned to the court shortly after.
John Mobley Jr. contributed 14 points and seven assists before fouling out with 4:49 remaining in the game. Andrija Jelavic added 13 points and nine rebounds, while Justin Pippen finished with 12 points. The Buckeyes finished the game shooting 49.1% from the field and 94.7% from the free-throw line.
Coaching Reaction
Ohio State head coach Jake Diebler expressed disappointment following the loss, noting that the team held a halftime lead. Diebler cited mental errors and execution issues following timeouts as factors that allowed BYU to pull away.
"We gotta be better at executing our coverage defensively," Diebler said. "I think we showed what we were capable of in the first half. The lack of execution and communication errors, certainly as we started shuffling lineups and things around as the fouls became an issue, certainly as we started shuffling lineups and things around... we just didn't quite execute it well enough coming out of some timeouts and stuff."
Looking Ahead
The victory marks the first win for BYU in the 2026-27 season. Ohio State, now 0-1, will head home to host Youngstown State for their home opener on Friday, Nov. 6.
