DENVER -- Richie Saunders scored 16 points, Egor Demin added 15 points and sixth-seeded BYU beat 11th-seeded VCU 80-71 in the first round of the East Region on Thursday. Fousseyni Traore scored 13 points and Keba Keita had nine points and nine rebounds for the Cougars (25-9), who will face No. 3 Wisconsin in the second round on Saturday after avoiding a second straight upset as a No. 6 seed. The Badgers beat Montana 85-66 earlier Thursday. BYU lost to No. 11 seed Duquesne to open the 2024 tournament. This was coach Kevin Young's first go-around after being hired from the NBA's Phoenix Suns last spring.
BYU cruises to victory over VCU, 80-71
