Iowa State basketball rallies from 10 down to shock No. 2 Houston, keep Big 12 title chase alive
Monday night (ET) at Hilton Coliseum, Iowa State reversed a second-half collapse and closed on a 17-4 run to defeat No. 2 Houston 70-67, pushing the Cyclones to 23-3 and signaling a renewed push in the Big 12 race.
Cyclones weather a second-half surge, then seize control
Iowa State opened on a 15-5 run and carried a slim three-point edge into halftime, but Houston answered after intermission with an 18-6 burst that looked like it might change the game’s trajectory. Houston guard Emanuel Sharp pace-set the visitors early, drilling 4-of-7 from three and pouring in all 16 of his points in the first half to keep the Cougars within striking distance.
The second half briefly belonged to Houston, but Iowa State steadied itself when it mattered most. Trailing by double digits in the frame, the Cyclones found a late rhythm. Jamarion Batemon drilled a wide-open 3 to reclaim the lead, and Nate Heise followed with a corner triple that extended the margin. Iowa State then held strong defensively down the stretch, finishing on a decisive 17-4 run to secure the three-point victory.
Key performances and late-game plays
Jefferson led the Cyclones with 12 points and six rebounds, though he struggled from deep, going 1-of-5 from behind the arc. Heise provided a spark off the bench with 11 points, and Blake Buchanan added 10, including a critical rebound in the waning seconds after a contested attempt missed the mark. On Houston’s side, Kingston Flemings paced the offense with 22 points on 9-of-15 shooting and pulled down five rebounds, while Milos Uzan added 11. Sharp’s 16 first-half points kept the Cougars competitive until Iowa State’s late run.
Late defensive plays were pivotal. A block on a rim attempt briefly gave Houston a final chance, but a missed 10-footer rebounded right to Buchanan, who secured possession and effectively ended the comeback bid. The sequence underscored the tight margins in play and highlighted Iowa State’s resilience under pressure.
What the win means for the Cyclones and the Big 12 picture
The triumph marks Iowa State’s second top-10 scalp in three days and comes on the heels of a near-20-point victory over a top-10 opponent on Saturday. The Cyclones have bounced back efficiently after a surprising loss at unranked TCU earlier last week, and the back-to-back marquee wins have strengthened their case in a wide-open conference race.
Iowa State still faces a rugged finish to the regular season, including trips to face ranked opponents over the coming weeks and matchups against quality league foes at home. A regular-season conference title would be the program’s first since 2001, and Monday’s result demonstrates the Cyclones can fight through adversity against elite competition.
For Houston, the loss halts a six-game winning streak and hands the Cougars their second defeat in conference play. They’ll regroup quickly; a challenging slate awaits them as well, making this stretch a pivotal juncture for Big 12 seeding and NCAA tournament positioning.
Overall, the game reinforced two themes that will matter come March: Iowa State’s capacity to close under pressure and the Big 12’s deep, unpredictable landscape. The Cyclones left Hilton Coliseum with momentum, but a handful of critical road tests remain before their conference destiny is fully determined.
