The No. 6 seed BYU Cougars made history on Saturday night in their win against the Wisconsin Badgers. BYU prevailed 91-89 behind a tremendous performance by their offense. They scored 91 points, had 21 assists, shot 49.2% from the field, shot 46.2% from three-point range, and shot 93.8% from the free-throw line. It was the first time in NCAA Tournament history a team has put up those numbers or better in a tournament game. Will the Cougars be able to continue riding their offense to a deep tournament run?
BYU Basketball Survives and Advances
Offensive stats for @BYUMBB tonight:
91 points
21 assists
49.2 FG%
46.2 3P%
93.8 FT%No other team in NCAA Tournament history has put up those numbers or better in a single game. pic.twitter.com/pnsllwl73A
— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) March 23, 2025
The Cougars took an 11-point lead into halftime over Wisconsin. BYU survived a late push by the Badgers to punch their ticket to the Sweet 16. Their great offense went cold late in the fourth quarter. They scored only 13 points over the final 7:30 of the game. Wisconsin cut the lead to 2 with a minute left, but the Cougars squeaked out the victory.
The historic offensive performance was led by Forward Richie Saunders. He scored 25 points on 9-of-16 shooting from the field. BYU had four players score in double figures to help them keep their dancing shoes on. The Cougars have been one of the nation’s best offenses, but have raised their level in the NCAA Tournament. They are averaging 85.5 points per game in the tournament.
Final Thoughts
BYU’s opponent in the Sweet 16 is unknown. They will play the winner of the Alabama-Saint Mary’s game next week. The Crimson Tide are favored, but either team would provide a stiff test for the Cougars. The Cougars will need their offense to continue playing well for the team to win.
