No. 23 BYU beat Montana State 86-71 on Thursday night, Nov. 12, 2026, at the Marriott Center to stay unbeaten at 4-0. Robert Wright III scored 22 points with seven assists and a career-high five steals, Bruce Branch III tied his career high with 17 points, and the Cougars shot a season-best 58.2 percent from the field, according to BYU Athletics. The biggest cheer of the night may have been for Dawson Baker, who played in a game for the first time in nearly a year after a knee injury.
It was part of BYU's November home stand, which BYU Athletics' recap noted. The Cougars play one more home game, against Northern Colorado on Wednesday, Nov. 18, before flying to Hawaii for the Maui Invitational.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Final | BYU 86, Montana State 71 |
| Date and place | Thursday, Nov. 12, 2026, Marriott Center, Provo |
| Halftime | BYU led by 13 |
| Top scorer | Robert Wright III, 22 points (9 of 15), 7 assists, 5 steals |
| BYU shooting | 58.2 percent from the field (BYU Athletics) |
| Rebounds | BYU 38, Montana State 30 |
| Record | BYU 4-0 |
| Next game | Wed., Nov. 18, vs. Northern Colorado, 7 p.m. MST, ESPN+ |
How the game went
BYU controlled most of the night without ever turning it into the kind of blowout it had against Omaha a week earlier. An 8-0 run in the first half pushed the lead to 34-17, BYU Athletics reported, and Montana State shot 40.7 percent in the first half while scoring 29 points. BYU went to the locker room up 13.
Montana State, which the Deseret News described as the favorite in the Big Sky Conference, kept trying to chip away after the break. BYU Athletics said the Cougars answered one push with seven straight points to get back to a 20-point lead. The Deseret News reported that BYU led by as many as 21 late before a 6-0 Bobcats run cut the final margin to 15. Montana State also had an 8-3 run in the second half, according to BYU's recap.
One detail stood out in the BYU recap: Montana State made more 3-pointers than BYU, the first time an opponent had done that this season. BYU still won comfortably because of what happened near the basket. KSL Sports reported that BYU scored 46 of its 86 points in the paint and went 16 of 18 on layups, while Montana State had 24 paint points. The Deseret News counted 28 BYU fast-break points to Montana State's four.
Wright's night
Wright led BYU in scoring again. BYU Athletics listed him at 22 points on 9-of-15 shooting with seven assists, a season high, and five steals, a career high. He did not make a 3-pointer and did not need to.
KSL Sports noted that Wright threw down his first dunk as a Cougar on a fast break that started with one of his steals. Later in the second half he got another clear run to the rim off a steal and laid it in instead.
Head coach Kevin Young focused on the passing. "I'm proud of the seven assists as much as anything else," Young said, according to the Deseret News. BYU Athletics quoted Young as saying he was proud of the team for "figuring things out and getting the win."
Branch, Kohler and the rest of the box score
These numbers come from BYU Athletics' recap and the Deseret News analysis.
| BYU player | Line | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Robert Wright III | 22 points, 9-15 FG, 7 assists, 5 steals | BYU Athletics |
| Bruce Branch III | 17 points (ties career high), 5 rebounds | BYU Athletics |
| Collin Chandler | 11 points, three 3-pointers | BYU Athletics, Deseret News |
| Jaxon Kohler | Perfect from the field, 6 rebounds, 3 assists | Deseret News |
| Jake Wahlin and Tyler Betsey | 14 points and 10 rebounds combined | Deseret News |
| Dawson Baker | 2 points, 2 rebounds, 1 steal in about 8 minutes | Deseret News, KSL Sports |
The two outlets disagree on Kohler's scoring. BYU Athletics' recap credits the Michigan State transfer with 15 points, while the Deseret News' analysis says he went 5 of 5 from the field for 12 points. Either way he did not miss a shot. KSL Sports described a second-half play where Kohler set a screen, rolled to the wing, pump-faked Montana State's Calvin Holden and finished at the rim with a spin move.
Branch talked afterward about adjusting to the college game. "The biggest thing I've learned is the speed of the game," he said, per the Deseret News. The same report noted that Branch accounted for four of BYU's 11 missed free throws.
Ten different Cougars scored, the Deseret News reported. Khadim Mboup, Betsey and Kohler each grabbed six rebounds, and Branch had two of his five on the offensive glass.
Dawson Baker is back
Baker had not played in a game since a significant knee injury about 350 days earlier, according to the Deseret News. KSL Sports reported that he checked in at the 7:10 mark of the first half to a loud ovation, played about eight minutes and scored both of his points at the free-throw line. The Deseret News added two rebounds and a steal, and noted BYU's defensive rating was 77.0 with Baker on the floor.
Baker is one of three players on the roster who have played in the NCAA Tournament's Sweet 16, KSL Sports reported. He connected this team to that one after the game. "This team reminds me a lot of that Sweet 16 team (from 2025)," Baker said, according to the Deseret News. Both outlets expect his minutes to grow as he gets back to full speed.
What the numbers say four games in
The offense is still efficient, just less flashy. The Deseret News pointed out that 86 points was BYU's lowest total of the season and that the Cougars had scored at least 90 in each of their first three games. It still put BYU at about 1.26 to 1.3 points per possession, depending on which of the paper's two pieces you read, which it called elite.
The 3-point shooting cooled off. After making more than 46 percent of their threes in each of the first three games, the Cougars hit 41 percent against Montana State, according to the Deseret News. Young said pushing the pace was the bigger weapon. "I think our ability to push tempo on our end, I think it gets into teams legs," he said, per the Deseret News.
Rebounding improved. BYU had been outrebounded twice earlier this season, the Deseret News reported, and won the boards 38-30 on Thursday.
Free throws were the sore spot. BYU made 13 of 24 from the line, missing 11, according to the Deseret News.
The defense created offense. BYU Athletics said the Cougars finished with a season-high 11 steals. Wright had five of them.
Where BYU stands
BYU is 4-0, with the wins over Omaha, Queens and Montana State coming at home. Our Queens recap and Omaha recap have the numbers from those games, and our BYU basketball 2026-27 season preview covers the roster and schedule.
What's next on the schedule
BYU's official schedule, checked Nov. 13, lists one more home game before the Maui trip:
| Date | Opponent and place | Tip and broadcast (MST) |
|---|---|---|
| Wed., Nov. 18 | Northern Colorado, Marriott Center | 7 p.m., ESPN+, BYU Radio |
| Mon., Nov. 23 | Washington, Lahaina Civic Center (Maui Invitational) | 3 p.m., ESPN2, BYU Radio |
| Tue., Nov. 24 | Clemson or Ole Miss, Lahaina Civic Center | Time to be announced |
| Wed., Nov. 25 | Opponent to be determined, Lahaina Civic Center | Time to be announced |
Tip times and networks can change, so confirm on byucougars.com the day of the game.
Going to the Northern Colorado game
The Nov. 18 game is a Wednesday night in Provo, which usually means an easier drive and an easier parking situation than a football Saturday. Our BYU basketball game day guide covers doors, tickets and the bag policy, and our Marriott Center seating chart explains which sections face which basket and where the student section sits. Check BYU's ticketing site for current prices before you go, since prices vary by game and section.
If you want to see another BYU team at home this week, women's volleyball hosts Texas Tech on Saturday, Nov. 14, at 6 p.m. at the Smith Fieldhouse after losing at Baylor on the same night as this game. On the women's side, see our BYU women's basketball 2026-27 season guide.
Sources: BYU Athletics game recap and men's basketball schedule, the Deseret News game analysis and takeaways, and KSL Sports takeaways, all checked Nov. 13, 2026.
Related Guides
- BYU basketball 2026-27 season preview
- BYU beats Queens 98-82
- BYU basketball game day guide
- Marriott Center seating chart
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Sources
The facts in this guide were checked against these sources. Hours, fees and rules change, so confirm anything time-sensitive with the source before you go. How we make Provo.com.
- Wright III scores 22 as No. 23 BYU improves to 4-0, BYU Athletics. Checked November 13, 2026.
- BYU men's basketball schedule, BYU Athletics. Checked November 13, 2026.
- Analysis: No. 23 BYU continues to excel offensively in win over Montana State, Deseret News. Checked November 13, 2026.
- 3 takeaways from No. 23 BYU's win over Montana State, Deseret News. Checked November 13, 2026.
- Instant takeaways from No. 23 BYU's win over Montana State to stay undefeated, KSL Sports. Checked November 13, 2026.