AJ Dibantsa impresses in his team’s big comeback
young star – AJ Dibants – here, the finish on a very high level after an incredible “buzz”, all in the legendary den of Madison Square Garden… This meeting between BIU Cougars and Clemson Tigers had everything to make an impression.
The first act of this crazy game took place … in the Cougars’ locker room during halftime. The latter just finished the first period with a result unworthy of the start of the season: -21 (22-43). The deficit is all the more pronounced because after 13 minutes of play they were tied (22-22).
Before suffering a terrible 21-0 by the end of the first period. That’s why coach Kevin Young had to shake up his training, with a simple message: “ The opposing team plays stronger than us » in short.
« The look in their eyes changed. I thought we were a little out of energy in the first half. I challenged the boys to come back with more competitive spirit », the technician reports on the reaction of his players.
More points… than the opposing team!
That didn’t last long, with the sudden awakening of AJ Dibanz, who is expected to go early in the 2026 draft, and even early overall. The author of only 6 points at the break, he started with great fluidity to chain “jumpers” and “turnovers” on the periphery.
Behind him, his team went 20-4 and got back to just two possessions (42-47). “ They didn’t make two moves. I have confidence in my one-on-one abilities. So I just chose my actions more intelligently, trying to make less mistakes in my shots », says AJ Dibantsa, omnipresent in the second half.
BIU DOWN BY 22 POINTS AND COME BACK TO DESTROY CLEMSON
It is the largest second half comeback by the Cougars in school history pic.twitter.com/1UkK8VR8L7
— ESPN Insights (@ESPNInsights) December 10, 2025
He would finish the game with 28 points (9/17), 9 rebounds and 6 assists, including 22 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists in his only second half performance. Quite simply, the winger was involved in 34 of his team’s 45 points after the break! The opposing team, led by Justin Porter (17 points), scored only 21 points in the last 20 minutes.
Trust in teammates
« One thing about AJ is that he analyzes situations really quickly. So I think in the second half he made the necessary adjustments to be able to hit his spots a little easier, and from there his game opened up a little bit », analyzes the son coach.
The final reliever came from his teammate Robert Wright III (17 points). With the two teams tied (64-64) with less than two seconds left, he took charge by getting free from far beyond the arc before saying a lucky prayer.
« AJ wasn’t open, he was twofold, so I said (Mihailo Bošković, author of the insert) that I would return to the ball, and he just trusted me and passed to me. It’s an unreal feeling “, the hero of the evening can say.
« You have to have faith in your teammates. It doesn’t matter if I give up 50 points in this game, whoever is open will get the ball. That’s the kind of confidence we have in our team », Comments from Dibants, whose team continues its great start to the season (8v-1d). And it leaves an impression while waiting for next June.
2025-12-10 11:53:00
