BYU hoops finally gets their season-defining win over 6 Iowa State in Provo

I couldn't believe my eyes, but the halftime score read 39-30 in favor of the BYU Cougars.

This year's edition of BYU basketball has been plagued with slow starts, horrid defense, and countless desperate and eventually fruitless attempts to climb back into contention at the final moment. But in the first half, with the sixth-ranked Iowa State Cyclones in the Marriott Center, Kevin Young's Cougs finally broke through.

20 minutes later, the Cougars nudged that lead to double-digits, claiming a season-defining win over the Iowa State Cyclones, 79-69.

Iowa State entered this game ranked fourth in the nation, according to the NCAA Tournament selection committee. BYU, having lost five of their last seven and seven of their last nine games, was desperate to find a victory against one of the Big 12's giants. Controlling the cadence in Provo, Utah, was paramount for the hobbled Cougars, but that drum beat matched with "Rise and Shout" for the majority of the contest.

The early season carried a myth within basketball circles that Dybantsa disappeared in big games. With poor performances against Arizona, Texas Tech, and Kansas, there was reason to believe that BYU's ace couldn't get it done against the toughest teams in basketball.

There's little reason to believe that anymore.

Following a 35-point outburst in Tuscon, Dybantsa wasted little time in stamping his influence on this game. Now playing without Richie Saunders, BYU basketball's notorious Big Three had been chopped down to two, and Wright didn't leave Dybantsa's side as the pair remained on the floor for the full 40 minutes of this contest.

Sometimes, I shake my head in complete disbelief that this level of player is enrolled at Brigham Young University.

But to me, the most incredible aspect of Dybantsa's game was his work on the defensive end. Tasked with guarding Milan Momcilovic, the best three-point shooter in the nation, AJ didn't flinch, and he didn't yield. Momcilovic was frustrated and shut down under Dybantsa's watch, picking up four fouls and scoring just five points. Effectively erasing one of the Cyclones' deadliest weapons from the game was AJ's masterpiece.

But a statline of 29 points (10-17 FG), 10 rebounds, and 9 assists will catch the headlines.

But the difference in this game was contributions from players not named Rob Wright or AJ Dybantsa. Especially with Wright only scoring 6 points in a distribution-heavy role, 35 points would not stand up against an elite program like ISU. That's the factor that had been missing all season -- the reason why BYU couldn't beat one of the Big 12's best teams at any point in the season up until tonight -- the others needed to step up.

This was more true than ever in the absence of Richie Saunders, whom fans honored with golden Ore-Ida sponsored headbands in the first home game since his ACL tear one week ago. Wright and Dybantsa weren't able to carry BYU hoops to major victories with Saunders, but without? The task ahead seemed impossible.

So credit is due to the following players for their monumental contributions in BYU basketball's third straight win over TJ Otzelberger's Cyclones.

Khadim Mboup is BYU's x-factor. He's the secret weapon that is so impactful that he won't remain a secret for much longer. A defensive force, defending Big 12 Player of the Year candidate Joshua Jefferson, and constantly finding himself in the right place at the right time throughout his 17 minutes of game time. 10 rebounds in 17 minutes? Sign. Me. Up.

We had vintage Mihailo Boskovic, appearing in the starting lineup once again, but applying scoring relief for the two-headed dragon at the top. 13 points for Boskovic, including a timely three-pointer to put an exclamaition point on the Cougars' late-game advantage.

Keba Keita looks like himself again; endlessly agressive, reliable at the rim, and downright violent in the paint at either end. He's clearly still working through his hand discomfort, but 9 points, 6 rebounds, 3 steals, and 1 block is a valuable stat line, no matter how you slice it.

But give the game ball to Kennard Davis Jr. I've been very critical of Davis over the year, a player whose three-point shot volume does not mix well with his efficiency, but he scrapped, battled, and fought for 17 points with 3 three-pointers and excellent defense against ISU's lightning guards. It was amazing seeing the incredulous looks on his teammates' faces as he slammed home a fast break dunk to recapture second-half control.

With a convincing win over one of the best teams in college basketball, Kevin Young has finally found an advantageous formula. Despite their middling body of work through this point of the year, the ceiling is raising in Provo. Is the Final Four still a reasonable goal? I still lean towards no, but a team that once was dead has found new life, and they're celebrating on the floor of the Marriott Center.