A 14-0 run by the home Colorado Buffaloes felt more like a stampede to the sputtering BYU Cougars as they watched their lead transform into a double-digit deficit. A story becoming painfully familiar for this team saw the Cougs playing from behind.
Until Richie Saunders became a force of nature, equal parts beautiful and devastating, restorative and unforgiving, the junior guard took a glance at the scoreboard, shook his head and resolved to make a difference.
But he's only one man--how could a single player shift the momentum of a 10-man ship? By being such a great "do-it-all" player that he's shaking the title of glue guy to become a bonafide star.
Off an inbound pass, Saunders caught a pass on the right sideline to pull a no-hesitation jumper from beyond the circle. Wrist flick. Backspin. Nylon.
RICHIE DOES IT ALL!!
— BYU Men's Basketball (@BYUMBB) January 22, 2025
📺 ESPNU pic.twitter.com/A5u3tWrbMX
On the next BYU possession, Richie wasn't content being a one-hit wonder. First Hot To Go, now Good Luck, Babe! Saunders pulled another jumper from long range. Unwilling to hear the music, a Colorado defender closed out a bit too aggressively on Saunders' liftoff. Shooting foul, Saunders to the stripe.
Time to play some defense. With the momentum building, BYU's blonde-haired demon sensed an undefended Buffalo drive. Enter Saunders. Shot meets hand. The ball flies out of bounds. An instinctual rejection courtesy of the tenacious Saunders.
No, Richie still wasn't finished, as the ensuing inbound became a Richie deflection in the other direction. Grabbing a steal and redirecting to the other end where Saunders would finish a reverse lay-in at the goal, his status held no more doubt as his team followed his lead to take the lead.
Richie Saunders ascended in four subsequent actions.