It took overtime. It took poise. It took every bit of shot-making BYU could find late.
But even after a 90-86 win over the Colorado Buffaloes, the conversation in Provo wasn’t about the final score.
It was about Richie Saunders.
A tough sight 45 seconds in
The game had barely started when everything changed.
On BYU’s first possession, Saunders drove the lane, kicked the ball out to Keba Keita and then crumpled to the floor under the basket, grabbing his right calf. There wasn’t a dramatic collision. No obvious twist. Just an awkward step and a veteran guard suddenly down.
He stayed there for several minutes while trainers checked on him. Eventually, Saunders was helped to his feet and walked to the locker room under his own power. There was no official update after the game.
Inside the arena, the energy shifted instantly.
“It sucked the life out of the gym,” head coach Kevin Young said afterward.
That’s not exaggeration. Saunders is not just another starter for the No. 22 BYU Cougars. He’s one of the emotional leaders of the roster and one of the most consistent two-way guards in the Big 12 Conference.
The numbers, and the leadership, matter
Saunders entered Saturday averaging 18.8 points, six rebounds and nearly two steals per game. He’s shooting nearly 49 percent from the field and has formed one of the most productive trios in the league alongside freshman standout AJ Dybantsa and Robert Wright III.
That trio combines for more than 60 points per game.
Last season, Saunders earned first-team All-Big 12 honors and was named the league’s Most Improved Player. He’s the type of veteran who steadies a team when possessions get chaotic.
Losing that presence, even temporarily, is not something you simply plug and replace.
BYU adjusts and grinds it out
To their credit, the Cougars didn’t unravel.
Backup guards Tyler Mrus and Aleksej Kostic stepped into larger roles. Both knocked down a pair of three-pointers and finished with six points apiece. They weren’t flashy, but they were steady.
Colorado pushed. The Buffaloes forced overtime and made BYU earn every possession late. The Cougars responded with timely shot-making and enough defensive stops to survive.
The final score will show a ranked team protecting its home floor. The flow of the game told a different story. It was tense. It was uncomfortable. It required resilience.
And that’s before you factor in the emotional weight of watching one of your leaders limp to the locker room before the first media timeout.
The bigger question moving forward
February wins matter. In the Big 12, they matter even more.
But as BYU continues to chase positioning in one of the toughest conferences in the country, the bigger storyline is simple: How long, if at all, will Saunders be out?
The Cougars showed heart Saturday. They showed depth. They showed they can survive a punch.
Now they wait.