Saunders’ career game rallies No. 13 BYU from 21-point deficit before loss to No. 14 Kansas

LAWRENCE, Kan. — If Saturday afternoon’s top-15 tilt between BYU’s AJ Dybantsa and Kansas’ Darryn Peterson was the start of a heavyweight bout, the first (and only guaranteed) round went to Peterson.

He had 18 points and three rebounds, and fellow freshman Bryson Tiller dropped a career-high 21 points with seven boards as the 14th-ranked Jayhawks led by 21 before holding off the No. 13 Cougars 90-82 at Phog Allen Fieldhouse.

Dybantsa had 17 points on 6-of-12 shooting for BYU (17-4, 5-3 Big 12), which was led by Richie Saunders’ career-high 33 points and 10 rebounds.

Robert Wright III added 18 points and six assists for the Cougars, who trailed for all but 51 seconds of the game.

In a highly anticipated matchup of projected NBA draft lottery picks, Peterson had the upper hand early and often as his 20 minutes would allow.

The Jayhawks (15-6, 6-2 Big 12) shot 64% from the field before the break.

BYU was the opposite, connecting on just 4-of-16 attempts from beyond the arc en route to a 53-33 halftime deficit.

That included one from Dybantsa, who was held scoreless from the field until dropping a triple with 7:22 left in the half and finishing with 7 points at the break.

Saunders erupted for 24 second-half points, and the Cougars used a 44-29 run to pull within four with 1:27 remaining.

But BYU could get no closer in its first consecutive losing skid of the season.

This story will be updated.