Noah Waterman, Jaxson Robinson lead No. 21 BYU to an 84-72 win over Texas

PROVO, Utah (AP) — Noah Waterman and Jaxson Robinson scored 17 points apiece to lead No. 21 BYU to an 84-72 victory over Texas on Saturday.

Fousseyni Traore had 16 points, six rebounds, and two blocked shots, and Richie Saunders and Spencer Johnson added 11 points apiece as the Cougars (15-5, 3-4 Big 12) snapped a two-game losing streak. BYU shot 64% from the field and outscored Texas 40-26 in the paint.

Dylan Disu led the Longhorns with 19 points. Chendall Weaver added 15 points and Max Abmas 12. Texas (14-6, 3-4) scored 17 points off 15 BYU turnovers, yet trailed the entire second half.

BYU broke open a close game with hot shooting in the second half. The Cougars made nine consecutive baskets to build a 72-55 lead with 8:30 remaining. Robinson and Traore each had three baskets in the run.

Texas never got closer than nine points the rest of the way.

BYU outscored Texas 18-0 in the paint in the first 10 minutes of the game. The Cougars attacked the rim and went on a 12-2. Saunders capped the outburst with a dunk off a steal, giving BYU a 26-21 lead.

Robinson accounted for three of five baskets in a later 11-2 run that extended the Cougars’ lead to 41-31. Texas countered with five straight baskets, punctuated by a jumper from Abmas, cutting the deficit to a point at 42-41 just before halftime.

BIG PICTURE

Texas struggled on interior defense while frequently pressuring the perimeter and left open lanes for BYU to drive to the basket on many possessions.

BYU did not settle for simply tossing up deep 3-pointers early in the shot clock, and instead worked to create higher percentage shots. It helped the Cougars find an early rhythm on offense.

UP NEXT

Texas: Hosts Houston on Monday.

BYU: Visits West Virginia on Saturday.

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AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball