#8 BYU Edges Men's Basketball, 78-76, In Preseason Tilt

Friday, October 24

Salt Lake City, Utah

9 p.m. ET

North Carolina

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BYU (preseason)

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North Carolina

BYU

Caleb Wilson

Photo by: Maggie Hobson

October 24, 2025 | Men's Basketball

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By: Matt Bowers

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH—Freshman AJ Dybantsa's 18 points led four double-digit scorers as eighth-ranked BYU held off No. 25 North Carolina, 78-76, in a preseason game at the Delta Center on Friday night.

The nation's top-ranked newcomer, Dybantsa finished with 18 points and eight rebounds, hitting 6 of 13 shots from the floor and 6 of 7 free throws. BYU's Keba Keita added 16 points and 10 rebounds, while Richie Saunders had 14 and Robert Wright III tallied 12 points and five assists.

Freshman Caleb Wilson led all scorers with 22 points and grabbed a game-high 10 boards, hitting 9 of 17 shots for the Tar Heels. Senior Seth Trimble finished with 17 points and seven rebounds, while Henri Veesaar had 14 points and eight rebounds.

Carolina shot 51.7 percent in the second half (15 for 29) and out-rebounded the Cougars, 40-38, in the game but committed 19 turnovers.

How It Happened
First Half
• BYU led for most of the first half and held a 39-35 advantage at the break despite a 16-5 run at one point by the Tar Heels.
• Neither team shot well, with UNC at 40.6 percent from the field and BYU at 38.2.
• Wilson led Carolina with 11 points on 4 of 7 shooting with three rebounds.
• Dybantsa had 11 points and four rebounds in the first half.

Second Half
• UNC started the second half hot, hitting 12 of its first 22 shots (54.5 percent) while holding BYU to 9 of 24 (37.5 percent).
• Carolina took a 66-64 lead with 5:46 on the clock on a three-point play by Trimble. Thirty seconds later, Wilson scored in the paint for a 68-64 advantage.
• BYU responded with a 10-3 run to take a 74-71 lead with 2:01 to play and held on for the victory.

Notes
• UNC started a lineup of Kyan Evans and Trimble at guard with Wilson, Jarin Stevenson and Veesaar in the frontcourt.
• Friday's game was the first meeting between Carolina and BYU since a 73-63 Tar Heel win in the Las Vegas Invitational on November 24, 2007.
• The game was Carolina's first appearance in Salt Lake City since 1988, when the Tar Heels swept a pair of games over North Texas and Loyola Marymount in the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament.

Up Next
Carolina will play its second and final preseason game when it hosts Winston-Salem State on Wednesday October 29 at 7:30 p.m. in the Smith Center.