BYU vs Iowa State Vol. II delivered yet another cinematic epic in the quarterfinal round of the Big 12 Conference tournament, and the Cougars emerged victorious once again in a 96-92 final.
In a back-and-forth mind-knuckling battle between two Big 12 juggernauts, both the Cougars and Cyclones at times looked poised to run away with the game. Major scoring swings and a career-defining night for ISU's Curtis Jones left BYU in the dust in the middle 20, but this squad's resilience would not waver in the biggest matchup of the season.
The three-ball was dropping regularly and with as much devastating power as a bowling ball in a large hadron collider, as both teams hit long-range bombs at a clip higher than 40% (43.3% and 50% for ISU and BYU, respectively).
Richie Saunders couldn't get it going early, though. BYU's leader in field goal percentage and hair, Saunders opened the game going 1-for-6 from beyond the arc. Credit to Trey Stewart and Mihailo Boskovic for picking up the slack.
Despite this, BYU still held the lead in the waning minutes of this classic thanks to tremendous shooting and a cold front coming over the offense from Iowa. "Hilton South" as ISU fans like to call Kansas City during conference tournament season, was rocking, but the Cougars retained their resilience and grasped to a five-point lead in the final minutes.
But free throws whittled down the BYU advantage as the game clocked ticked below the 60 second mark. 89-88 the score, possession belonging to BYU as they swung the ball to the right wing and desperately searched for an open shot.
Dallin Hall caught in the corner and gave Momcilovic a head fake before attacking the paint. As the Iowa State defense had done all game, they collapsed on the ball handler to plug any chance of a leak at the tin. Hall elevated and kicked out to a wide open Richie on the right wing.
Catch. Jump. Flick. Nylon.
BANG BANG
— BYU Men's Basketball (@BYUMBB) March 13, 2025
📺 ESPN2 pic.twitter.com/rl84eX7jNq
Same old story -- Richie was nails in the critical moments of the game.
By the gift of what must've been a higher power, Saunders found himself wide open from long range with the game on the line. For a player like him, that three-ball is a layup.
BYU's leader and the Big 12 Most Improved Player delivered for his team when the pressure rose to an unbearable level. Not to mention his flawless 8-for-8 from the foul stripe. Absolutely deaf to any opposing noise, he may as well have been wearing Beats over his ears in crunch time. Stone cold, Richie Saunders drove the nail through Iowa State's coffin and advanced to the semifinals.
We'll have to wait for tomorrow to see if BYU can keep their nine-game streak alive against the winner of Colorado and Houston (Houston).