KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — AJ Dybantsa had 27 points in another brilliant Big 12 Tournament performance, Kennard Davis Jr. added 20 points, and No. 10 seed BYU beat seventh-seeded West Virginia 68-48 on Wednesday night to advance to the quarterfinal round.
Robert Wright III also had 11 points before a crowd that included BYU alum and Chiefs coach Andy Reid along with his quarterback, Patrick Mahomes — whose No. 16 Texas Tech plays seventh-ranked Iowa State in the first quarterfinal Thursday.
As for the Cougars (23-10), their second win in as many days earned them a quarterfinal matchup with fifth-ranked Houston.
Honor Huff had 17 points for West Virginia (18-14), which had beaten BYU a couple of weeks ago. Brenen Lorient finished with 11.
Dybantsa was downright dominant in the Cougars' first-round win over Kansas State on Tuesday night, pouring in 40 points — three off the single-game Big 12 Tournament record set by Texas Tech's Mike Singletary — to go with nine rebounds and six assists.
Nothing much changed against the Mountaineers.
Dybantsa gave BYU the lead for good with his bucket with 9:36 left in the first half, and that was just the start of the highlights. He scored on a myriad of Euro-step layups, pull-up jumpers and rim-rattling dunks. The most impressive came in the final minute of the half, when he stole the ball from Lorient and threw down a dunk while getting fouled.
The three-point play gave the Cougars a 31-23 at the break.
West Virginia was still within 47-42 after Chance Moore's put-back dunk with 8:02 to go. But Wright scored at the other end for BYU, launching a 10-0 run over the next five minutes that sent the Cougars into the quarterfinal round.
BYU lost to second-seeded Houston in its only meeting on Feb. 7 in Provo, Utah.
The Mountaineers await their NCAA Tournament fate on Selection Sunday.
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BYU forward Khadim Mboup (7) beats West Virginia forward DJ Thomas (5) to a rebound during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the second round of the Big 12 Conference tournament Wednesday, March 11, 2026, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge in Massachusetts on Tuesday struck down several Trump administration actions slowing down development of clean energy, including a requirement that all solar and wind energy projects on federal lands and waters be personally approved by Interior Secretary Doug Burgum.
Chief Judge Denise J. Casper of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts ruled that a coalition of plaintiffs representing wind and solar developers were likely to succeed on the merits of their claims that the administration's actions violate federal statute and will cause irreparable harm if the court did not intervene.
She issued a preliminary injunction to stop the administration from implementing the policies, which clean energy advocates said would hamstring projects that need to get underway quickly to qualify for expiring federal tax credits.
The Interior Department in July said that all solar and wind energy projects on federal lands and waters must be personally approved by Burgum, a layer of enhanced oversight that officials said was needed to end what they said was preferential treatment for these technologies under the Biden administration. Burgum's order authorized him to conduct “elevated review” of renewable projects, from proposed leases to rights of way, construction and operational plans, grants and biological opinions.
A coalition of regional wind and solar developers sued Burgum and other federal officials in December, saying his actions had the “goal and effect of destroying solar and wind energy” proposals in the United States. They accused Burgum of favoring fossil fuels such as oil and natural gas and said he had intentionally changed longstanding agency processes and legal determinations to delay and prevent the permitting and construction of wind and solar facilities. The lawsuit challenged six final agency actions that it says place wind and solar technologies into “second-class status.”
An Interior spokesperson said Tuesday the department does not comment on litigation, but added: “America sets the global standard for energy production. We do it cleaner, safer, and more reliably than anywhere in the world.”
In his second term, President Donald Trump has focused U.S. energy production on fossil fuels, which he says will lower costs for families, increase reliability and help the U.S. maintain global leadership in artificial intelligence. Critics say that change continues U.S. dependence on more polluting energy sources and sets the country apart from a world transitioning toward cleaner energy.
A law approved last year by the Republican-controlled Congress phases out tax credits for wind, solar and other renewable energy while enhancing federal support for coal, oil and natural gas. Three days after signing the law, Trump issued an executive order that further restricts subsidies for what he called “expensive and unreliable energy policies from the Green New Scam.”
The plaintiffs said in a joint statement Tuesday that the ruling is the first of many steps to bring more affordable energy options to people across the country.
“Clean energy is fast, affordable and here to stay,” the statement said. “We look forward to getting back to work and restarting the impacted wind and solar projects nationwide.”
The plaintiffs are: the Alliance for Clean Energy New York, MAREC Action, Southern Renewable Energy Association, Clean Grid Alliance, Interwest Energy Alliance, Renewable Northwest, Carolinas Clean Energy Business Association, RENEW Northeast and Green Energy Consumers Alliance.
Kit Kennedy, managing director for power at the Natural Resources Defense Council, said the Trump administration keeps trying new ways to block the clean energy projects needed to power the grid, and the courts keep striking them down.
“The administration should take the hint and stop these illegal attacks on projects that will help meet surging electricity demand and bring down costs for consumers,” Kennedy said in a statement.
McDermott reported from Providence, R.I.
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Department of Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, testifies before the House Appropriations Committee's budget hearing on Capitol Hill, Monday, April 20, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
