BYU basketball coach Kevin Young’s first true taste of March’s madness was equal parts exhilarating and exhausting.
The No. 23 Cougars walked out of Hilton Coliseum with an 88-85 double-overtime victory over the No. 10 Iowa State Cyclones on Tuesday night. It was a game that left BYU’s first-year head coach out of breath, anxious to fix the mistakes that caused his squad to lose a 21-point lead and excited about the weeks ahead.
“I don’t even know what to say, honestly,” Young said afterward. “So much respect for [Iowa State coach TJ Otzelberger] and the way he gets those guys to play. The whole time we had that big lead, I was waiting for them to respond. You knew it was coming at some point. It was just an onslaught of physicality. That was just a toughness game — bottom line.”
He added, “I’m tired and I don’t know what else to say.”
But here’s what else the Cougars said after improving to 22-8.
With BYU up 21, Iowa State’s defensive pressure turned the tide.
“We had 29 turnovers and still won. I’ve never really seen that before,” Young said. “... Their guards are tough. I’ve never seen as quick and strong of hands as those guys have. It’s super impressive. So honestly, we were just doing everything we could do to not turn the ball over. And they made it really hard. When they went smaller, it upped the pressure. That’s how the game changed.”
The Cougars countered with a 52-24 rebounding advantage.
“Just motor, and will, and determination. It’s something we’ve been able to win some other games on the road by out-rebounding teams,” Young said.
Richie Saunders had a game-high 23 points and was a perfect 13 for 13 from the free-throw line. After, he reflected on losing a 14-point lead in a loss last year at Iowa State.
“Coach always says every game is its own story,” the wing said. “But actually coming into the media room … last year I came in here and it’s crazy the difference. I’ll take this all day.”
BYU guard Dallin Hall celebrates after making a 3-point basket during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Iowa State, Tuesday, March 4, 2025, in Ames, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
BYU guard Dallin Hall scored a season-high 22.
“It felt really good to see hard work pay off,” he said. “I thought my teammates really trusted me down the stretch and Coach did to make plays. Despite the turnvors, just had to keep going at them.”
On the team’s toughness:
“I know the MO of this team. Toughness and physically. We felt about a month or two ago we turned the corner. And we felt like we started playing like the tougher team,” Young said before praising Hall for exemplifying that. “Playing a cramped leg, banging threes. It thought he was going to pass out out there. Just the toughness he showed is what we talked about.”
BYU forward Mawot Mag (0) fights for a loose ball with Iowa State guard Tamin Lipsey (3) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Tuesday, March 4, 2025, in Ames, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
BYU is now 4th in the Big 12 with a shot at a double-bye in the conference tournament.
“Not something we talked about,” Young said. “With this particular team, we’ve found that just focusing on the next thing is the most important. … I know that sounds super coachy, but it’s what makes us good. We haven’t looked down the road really at all.”
The Cougars could be on a collision course with the Cyclones. Was there a lesson learned should the two teams happen to meet again in the Big 12 tourney?
“Don’t turn the ball over,” Young said. I gotta catch my breath to even process that. This is my first time doing the whole March Madness thing. Every time I was in the NBA and March would roll around, I said I bet it’s so fun to coach college basketball in March and here we are. As a competitor, that’s what you look forward to. Hopefully being able to right some of the wrongs in this game.”