BYU, trailing by 21 points at halftime, rallied for another second-half surge to stun Clemson 67-64 on Rob Wright III’s game-winning 3-pointer that sounded the buzzer-beater at Madison Square Garden in the Jimmy V Classic.
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It was the biggest second-half comeback in program history for the Cougars, who are now 8-1 on the season.
3 takeaway
Rob Wright just became a BYU legend. Prepare to see Wright’s chime repeated thousands of times for decades to come.
With 1.5 seconds left and the score tied at 64 apiece, Wright caught Mihailo Boskovic’s pass and launched a three-pointer between two defenders, swinging perfectly into the net and sparking an explosion from the BYU faithful in attendance.
BYU has had plenty of memorable moments so far in the 2025 campaign, but none as electric or viral as this one.
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Wright later told reporters that it was the first triple winner of his life. What better place to achieve such a feat than the most famous stadium in the world?
It was an extreme tale of two halves. BYU has been a second-half team all year, but it’s hard to remember a case where the Cougars have been so putrid before halftime and so dominant afterward.
After 20 minutes of play, Clemson led 43-22, finishing the half on an astonishing 21-0 run.
BYU had shot 28.1% in the first half, while the Tigers had made 45.2% of their shot attempts.
But the Cougars won the second-half battle by a 45-21 margin, shooting 53.3% in the final frame and holding Clemson to a 25.9% shooting mark.
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BYU had been unable to match Clemson’s energy and physicality in the first half, but the Cougars flipped a switch and dominated both categories to end the night, resulting in an almost unbelievable victory.
AJ Dybantsa was ridiculous down the stretch. While Wright’s game-winning goal will steal all the headlines, don’t forget Dybantsa’s second-half show.
In the final 20 minutes alone, BYU’s rookie phenom scored 22 points with seven rebounds and five assists. For comparison, Clemson scored 21 total points in the second half as a team.
Dybantsa not only outscored the Tigers after halftime, but he also scored or assisted on 34 of BYU’s final 45 points.