Takeaways From BYU’s 84-71 Setback At Texas Tech
Jan 17, 2026, 10:02 PM | Updated: Jan 20, 2026, 10:46 am
BYU basketball suffered its first loss of Big 12 play this season, falling to No. 15 Texas Tech 84-71.
Here are some takeaways from BYU’s setback to the Red Raiders.
Rob Wright’s brief exit changed the game
BYU guard Robert Wright III had a career-high 28 points in the loss to Texas Tech. Wright was taking over the game midway through the second half as BYU built up a 61-52 lead.
Moments later, Wright hit the floor hard on a Texas Tech foul. His left pinky looked to be banged up, as he immediately went to trainer Rob Ramos for him to look at the finger.
Wright then went to the bench and was sidelined for 1 minute.
During that one minute Wright was on the bench, Texas Tech put together a 6-0 run and got back into the game. From there, the Red Raiders were building momentum as Wright returned to action.
In Big 12 play, Wright is averaging 22.2 points per game and continues to improve.
Three-point shooting woes continue in Lubbock
Saturday marked the third consecutive game that BYU shot below 23% from beyond the arc.
BYU finished 5-of-22 from 3-point range in the loss at Texas Tech. In the first half, BYU was 1-of-8, with the lone make coming from reserve center Mihailo Boskovic.
With elite passers like Rob Wright and AJ Dybantsa, BYU needs players to consistently knock down threes.
Starter Kennard Davis had a tough outing from three on Saturday, going 0-for-6. In his last two games, he’s 0-for-10.
Rob Wright was an uncharacteristic 1-for-5 from beyond the arc. Wright entered the game shooting 45% from three this season.
Season-low scoring for AJ Dybantsa
BYU freshman star AJ Dybantsa scored a season-low 13 points in the loss at Texas Tech. Low-scoring outputs are going to happen in the Big 12.
What was the most surprising aspect of Dybantsa’s night in Lubbock was that he only had one free throw attempt in 32 minutes played.
Dybantsa didn’t have a free throw attempt in the second half.
Better days are ahead for BYU basketball
Saturday night in Lubbock was BYU’s toughest game since the matchup against UConn in Boston. It was a significant step up in competition. They showed glimpses of how dynamite this team can be when they got the nine-point lead. However, they didn’t finish the job.
Road losses happen in the Big 12. It’s a learning moment for Kevin Young’s squad.
The potential of this team to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament doesn’t change from this performance. It’s just a missed opportunity to get a signature win to bolster the resume.
The good news for BYU is that they get a week off to heal injuries and bruises and get ready for next week’s rivalry game against Utah.
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for sports.ksl.com and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast daily on KSL Sports YouTube and KSL NewsRadio (SUBSCRIBE). Harper also co-hosts Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL NewsRadio.
Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU athletics in the Big 12 Conference on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram: @Mitch_Harper.
