Denver • BYU basketball player Richie Saunders can’t go anywhere without somebody asking him about tater tots, the snack invented by his great-grandfather.

But enough with the savory.

Now Saunders and the Cougars are only thinking about the Sweet.

BYU survived Wisconsin’s rally to beat the Badgers 91-89 Saturday night and advance to the Sweet 16 for the first time in over a decade.

“What an unbelievable basketball game,” BYU coach Kevin Young said. “Two hungry teams.”

Saunders led the way with 25 points and seven rebounds.

Wisconsin’s John Tonje scored a game-high 37 points, but missed a contested shot in the final seconds that could have tied the game.

“We just found a way,” Young said. “We felt like we couldn’t stop them at all in the second half. And that last timeout we just looked at each other in the eye and said all we have to do is get one stop.”

Brigham Young forward Richie Saunders, left, drives past Wisconsin forward Steven Crowl during the first half in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Saturday, March 22, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/John Leyba)

The Cougars led by 10 points with just over two minutes left on the clock. The Badgers cut the lead to two over the next 90 seconds.

“There was a decent amount of talk about how prolific both of our offenses were and, in that second half, it was on full display,” Young said. “Just an unbelievable game. Glad we were on the winning side of it.”

BYU advances to the round of 16 for the first time since 2011, when Jimmer Fredette was still in Cougar blue.

BYU will face the winner of Alabama and Saint Mary’s.

Saunders led the Cougars in scoring, but BYU showcased its depth throughout the contest.

Trevin Knell finished with 14 points with four triples. Egor Demin had 11, eight rebounds and eight assists. Eight different BYU players scored at least six points.

Wisconsin, meanwhile, got just three points of production from its bench.

The Badgers appeared to have a size advantage coming into the matchup. But BYU finished the game with 39 points in the paint, out-rebounded Wisconsin 41-32 and converted a dozen second-chance points.