ATSWINS

Saunders hits 6 3-pointers, scores 22 points and BYU beats UCF 81-75 for fourth straight win

Updated Feb. 1, 2025, 11:38 p.m. 1 min read

ORLANDO, Fla.

(AP) Richie Saunders made six 3-pointers and scored 22 points to lead BYU to an 81-75 victory over UCF on Saturday for its fourth straight win.

Mawot Mag added 18 points and matched a career-best with five assists for BYU (15-6, 6-4 Big 12).

Trevin Knell chipped in with 15 points.

Keba Keita scored 10 points and grabbed seven rebounds.

Keyshawn Hall scored 20 points for UCF (13-8, 4-6).

Moustapha Thiam scored 17 points, Darius Johnson added 16 and Jordan Ivy-Curry had 14.

Mag scored six points and Keita's dunk ended an 8-0 surge to open the second half and BYU led 46-40.

Consecutive 3s by Ivy-Curry and Hall gave UCF its only lead of the half, 58-55, with 8:42 remaining.

It was tied three more times before Saunders hit a 3 for a 68-65 advantage with 4:04 remaining and the Cougars led the rest of the way.

Johnson scored 12 points and Thiam had 10 to help UCF build a 40-38 halftime advantage.

Knell scored 13 first-half points and Saunders added 11 to pace BYU.

BYU hosts Arizona on Tuesday.

UCF plays at home against Cincinnati on Wednesday.

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AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball.

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