PROVO, Utah — Richie Saunders had an impressive performance on Saturday night, nailing 5 of 6 from beyond the arc and scoring 16 of his total 21 points in the second half, leading BYU to a decisive 80-52 victory against Cincinnati.

Egor Demin contributed significantly with 15 points, seven assists, and five rebounds for BYU, which is now sitting at a record of 13 wins and 6 losses, including 4 wins and 4 losses in the Big 12. Dawson Baker also played a key role, scoring 11 points with an impressive 5-of-7 shooting accuracy.

In the second half, Cincinnati’s Simas Lukosius made a 3-pointer that narrowed the gap to five points less than a minute into the period. However, Saunders quickly responded with back-to-back 3-pointers, followed by a shot from Trevin Knell, fueling a 14-2 scoring streak that stretched BYU’s lead to 45-28. The Cougars maintained a lead of double digits for the remaining 18 minutes of the game.

Lukosius was the standout player for Cincinnati, finishing with 14 points on 5-of-11 shooting. As a team, the Bearcats struggled with their shooting, connecting on only 18 of their 50 attempts from the field, which translates to a 36% accuracy rate.

The first half saw Lukosius hit a 3-pointer to tie the game at 23 with just over a minute left, but Demin countered with two free throws, propelling BYU ahead for good. He later sank a 3-pointer just before halftime, sending the Cougars into the locker room with a 28-23 lead.

BYU’s shooting was nothing short of spectacular, as they recorded a blistering 73.4% from the field in the second half, making 11 of their 15 attempts from three-point range. Overall, they finished the game shooting 57% (28 of 49) from the field and 63% from beyond the arc.

Cincinnati’s next matchup will be on Tuesday against Utah, while BYU will also take the court on Tuesday, facing off against Baylor.