BYU Cougars lead the all-time series against Dayton Flyers 3-0.,Keba Keita’s seven blocks against Miami are tied for seventh-most in program history.The BYU Cougars will face the Dayton Flyers for the fourth time in their history, holding a 3-0 lead in the all-time series. Two of their previous three meetings occurred at neutral venues. One such game was on November 24, 2022, at the Battle 4 Atlantis, where the Cougars secured a 79-75 overtime victory against the Flyers. In that seventh-place game, BYU rallied from a 23-point deficit to achieve their sole win in the Bahamas. Gideon George led the Cougars with a game-high 21 points, including a crucial three-pointer with 2:19 remaining in regulation that gave BYU its first lead. George, Rudi Williams, and Jaxson Robinson combined for 15 points in overtime, marking the largest comeback in the tournament’s history.
In another recent game, BYU defeated Miami 72-62, improving their season record to 5-1. Despite trailing by four points at halftime, the Cougars outscored Miami 43-29 in the second half. This win also improved BYU’s all-time record against the Hurricanes to 3-2 and marked their first neutral-site win in the series. BYU’s defense held the Hurricanes scoreless for over six minutes in the second half, during which they went on a 10-0 run to regain the lead and maintain it. The team shot 54.5 percent from the field in the second half, including 6-of-10 from three-point range and 13-of-18 from the free-throw line, securing a win against an ACC opponent at a neutral event for the third consecutive season.
Keba Keita played only six minutes in the first half due to foul trouble but made a significant impact in the second half, recording six of his career-high seven blocks after halftime. He also achieved a season-high 10 rebounds, with nine of those on the defensive glass. Kennard Davis Jr. scored a season-high 18 points for the Cougars, making four three-pointers, which was his seventh career game with four or more threes and the first time he led the team in scoring. Robert Wright III and AJ Dybantsa also scored in double figures, with 17 and 16 points respectively.
Keba Keita’s seven blocks in the game against Miami tie for the seventh-most in program history and are the most by a Cougar since Shawn Bradley recorded 10 blocks in his final collegiate game against Virginia in the NCAA Tournament on March 14, 1991. Keita is now one of four players in program history to achieve at least seven blocks in a single game, joining Bradley (8 times), Greg Kite (2 times), and Alan Taylor. Six of Keita’s blocks came in the second half, tying for the second-most blocks in a single half in program history.
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