Dybantsa, one of the nation’s top freshmen, shot 9 for 18 from the floor in his collegiate debut. Richie Saunders added 15 points and seven rebounds and Robert Wright III scored 14 points for the Cougars, who spoiled the regular-season debut of new Villanova coach Kevin Willard.

Saunders extended his streak of made free throws to 29. That run dates to last season and is tied for second-longest in program history.

The victory extended BYU’s regular-season win streak to nine games, its longest since 2019-20.

The Wildcats, who endured a rash of injuries leading up to the start of the season, were led by Bryce Lindsay’s 22 points. Christian Jeffrey added 11 points and Duke Brennan finished with eight points and 15 rebounds.

BYU did a good job of taking care of the ball, finishing with just four turnovers. Meanwhile, the Wildcats committed 11 turnovers, which led to 17 points for the Cougars.

Both teams struggled in the first half. The Cougars shot 36% (14 of 34) from the field, while Villanova was worse, hitting 12 of 35 (26%).

BYU used a 23-13 run during an 11-minute span to open a 12-point lead with 4:25 left in the first half. The Cougars went into the locker room with a 42-32 halftime lead.

BYU next hosts Holy Cross on Saturday.

UTAH TECH 81, S. DAKOTA 79 (OT)

VERMILLION, S.D. (AP) — Davis High alum Chance Trujillo and Tanner Davis both scored 17 points as Utah Tech beat South Dakota 81-79 in overtime on Monday.

Trujillo also contributed 12 rebounds and five assists for the Trailblazers. Davis shot 8 for 12, including 1 for 3 from beyond the arc. Ethan Potter and Noah Bolanga both scored 15.

Isaac Bruns led the way for the Coyotes with 23 points and two steals. Evan Anderson added 10 points for South Dakota.

UTAH 84, SAN JOSE STATE 75

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Seydou Traore scored 23 points, 18 of them in the second half, and Don McHenry had 16 for Utah in a season-opening 84-75 win over San Jose State on Monday night.

The win is the first for Utah’s new head coach, Alex Jensen. Jensen played for the Utes from 1994-1995 and 1997-2000. He returns to Utah after previously being an assistant coach for the Dallas Mavericks.

Colby Garland led San Jose with 21 points. JaVaughn Hannah and Yaphet Moundi each had 12. Moundi also recorded a double-double, with 13 rebounds. The Spartans scored the first points of the game, and Utah responded, keeping it close until the Utes went on an 11-3 run with around four minutes left in the first half.

Utah shot 31 for 62 from the field and were 10 for 25 from beyond the 3-point arc.

UTAH STATE 110, WESTMINSTER 54

LOGAN (AP) — Michael Collins Jr. had 23 points in Utah State’s 110-54 win over Westminster University on Monday.

Collins also had three steals for the Aggies. Kolby King went 6 of 10 from the field (4 for 7 from 3-point range) to add 16 points. Garry Clark had 12 points and finished 6 of 8 from the floor.

The Griffins were led in scoring by Colin Hayes, who finished with 12 points and two steals. Michael Frazier added 11 points and six rebounds, and Jake Nadauld also recorded nine points.

Utah State took the lead with 19:01 remaining in the first half and did not trail again. Collins led the Aggies in first-half scoring with 12 points to help put them up 53-27 at the break. Utah State pulled away with a 22-2 run in the second half to extend a 26-point lead to 46 points. They outscored Westminster by 30 points in the final half, as King led the way with a team-high 16 second-half points.