Recap: BYU basketball overcomes sloppy opening, flushes Abilene Christian

BYU basketball tipped off as 33.5-point home favorites against four-loss Abilene Christian out of the WAC, but didn't really take control of the game until a 10-0 run midway through the second half. In a game where AJ Dybantsa went nuclear for a career-high 35 points (on a gawk-worthy 20 free-throw attempts), this was a game that never truly felt like an upset waiting to happen, though this engine sure left us in suspense for a minute.

It isn't easy to win basketball games in this day and age, even with one of the strongest rosters in the nation, but a game against ACU should have proved to be a relative romp through the park, with BYU playing bully for 40 minutes of game play.

ACU, however, like many of the Cougars' weaker opposition through the first 12 games of the season, entered the threshold of the Marriott Center with bad intentions and the hopes of playing spoiler against a top-10 program in the nation and Final Four contender. The Wildcats forced an uncharacteristic 18 turnovers on Friday night in Provo, playing scrappy and physical basketball from start to finish.

BYU, on the other hand, seemed a step slow. The visitors' strategy had clearly neutralized Kevin Young's game plan, and the BYU offense couldn't truly break away until the final quarter of the game clock began to burn. ACU was within two points as late as 11:58 remaining in the second half. From that 54-52 turning point, however, BYU would finish the matchup on a 31-15 spurt to push the final score back to a respectable (though slightly underwhelming) final score of 85-67.

Slow starts have plagued the Cougars to this point in the season. Seemingly through the first half of every matchup (if you'll allow some hyperbole), BYU has failed to take control of the game before the first half buzzer sounds. The Cougars stumbled against UConn early, though they managed to draw the game within one possession in the second. The Clemson 20+ point comeback wouldn't have been possible had it not been for a meager first 20. Against good teams, that is bound to happen, but the quality of opponent is about to be dialed up to 11 in the Big 12 Conference, and showings like this against teams out of the WAC don't exactly spark confidence.

All the same, this was a game in which BYU showed resilience. ACU delivered a very strong performance, pressuring and hounding the Cougars on defense with exceptional physicality on every touch, every play. Teams like Houston and Iowa State are going to bring a similar defensive philosophy, and BYU was given a Costco free sample on Friday.

Dybantsa was dominant; 35 points is plenty of evidence to that point. ACU's physicality was a tool in their wheelhouse up until Dybantsa began to get to the foul line. 17 free throws into 35 points made for an explosive night, and one Kevin Young will hope to replicate regularly.