Oklahoma State Stuns No. 16 BYU with Statement Win Under Steve Lutz
In Stillwater on Wednesday night, Steve Lutz got the kind of win that doesn’t just show up in the box score - it sends a message. Oklahoma State took down No.
16 BYU in a 99-92 thriller at Gallagher-Iba Arena, delivering Lutz his first signature victory as head coach of the Cowboys. And they did it in style, pouring in 52 points in the paint and sparking a full-blown court storm from the home crowd.
“It was a heck of a night,” Lutz said afterward, and that might be underselling it. This wasn’t just a win - it was a validation of what he’s been building.
A Quad 1 victory over a nationally ranked opponent, the kind of team Lutz believes can make a deep March run? That’s a major step forward.
More importantly, it was a win rooted in togetherness. Lutz praised his team for shifting from a collection of individuals to a cohesive unit.
“We’ve talked a lot about our egos versus the mission,” he said. “And the mission is for us to continue to win Quad 1 games in the best league in America and put ourselves in a position to get to the NCAA Tournament.”
That mission came through loud and clear on Wednesday. Oklahoma State came out swinging, building a 15-point lead in the first half.
BYU, to its credit, punched back and tied the game at 41 by halftime. But the Cowboys responded with a second-half offensive explosion, scoring 58 points and averaging a blistering 1.57 points per possession.
That kind of efficiency against a top-25 team? That’s not a fluke - that’s a team finding its rhythm.
Of course, BYU didn’t go quietly. Freshman phenom AJ Dybantsa showed why he’s one of the most electric young talents in college basketball, dropping 36 points on 13-of-20 shooting, including five threes.
He added seven boards and four assists, even while committing five turnovers. Alongside Richie Saunders and Rob Wright III, the trio combined for 71 of BYU’s 92 points.
It was a strong offensive showing - just not quite enough to overcome the Cowboys’ onslaught.
Still, it wasn’t just Dybantsa’s scoring that turned heads. After the game, Lutz shared a moment that said even more about the young star’s character.
During the postgame handshake line, one BYU player appeared to bypass Lutz - unintentionally, it seemed. But Dybantsa stepped in, grabbed his teammate, and made sure he shook Lutz’s hand.
“That’s impressive to me, guys,” Lutz said. “Thirty-six points is impressive and seven rebounds is impressive, but what he did in that handshake line speaks volumes about the young man’s character.”
For Oklahoma State, this win moves them to 16-6 overall and 4-5 in Big 12 play. They’re still on the outside looking in when it comes to the NCAA Tournament picture, but this is the kind of result that gets the committee’s attention. It’s also a confidence boost heading into a critical stretch.
“We didn’t have a Quad 1 victory coming into tonight,” Lutz noted. “We’re fantastic in the Quad 2, but we didn’t have a Quad 1 win.”
Now they’ve got one - and more opportunities on deck. Houston and Kansas are both set to visit Stillwater.
Road trips to UCF and Colorado loom as well. That’s four more Quad 1 chances, and Lutz knows what’s at stake.
“If you want to put yourself in the mix, you’ve got to win those games,” he said. “Our RPI continues to climb, our NET continues to get better.
Our wins above the bubble is fantastic. We’re going to have to make the selection committee make a decision if we can keep doing this.”
It’s clear what Lutz was brought in to do: compete in the Big 12, win basketball games, and get this program back to the NCAA Tournament. With this win, the Cowboys have already surpassed last season’s win total. More importantly, they’ve made themselves relevant in the postseason conversation.
Now comes the hard part - finishing the job. But if Wednesday night was any indication, Oklahoma State isn’t just chasing a tournament bid. They’re starting to look like a team that believes they belong there.