Nate Heise's late 3 lifts No. 6 Iowa State to 70-67 upset of No. 2 Houston
Ames, Iowa — Nate Heise buried a go-ahead 3-pointer with 1: 17 remaining and Tamin Lipsey hustled for a crucial offensive rebound in the final seconds to help No. 6 Iowa State rally past No. 2 Houston 70-67 on Monday night (ET). The Cyclones closed on a 17-4 run to erase a deficit and hand the conference leader its first setback in six games.
Heise's clutch shot caps an improbable finish
Heise, who finished 3-for-3 from long range, calmly launched the left-corner triple that put Iowa State up 69-67. He said the late-clock situation left little room for hesitation. "You've got no other choice; it's kind of muscle memory, " he added, describing his mental approach with the shot clock winding down. The freshman's big night came hours after his sister scored in the Olympics, a family note he acknowledged with a laugh about the postgame text thread.
Iowa State coach T. J. Otzelberger called the performance "the most elite" of Heise's career, praising the guard's confidence and timing in the most pressured moments. Heise's scoring and composed decision-making were the spark that fueled the comeback, and his trey proved decisive when Houston had two late chances to respond.
Critical plays in the closing sequence
After Heise's three, Houston had 43 seconds to tie or take the lead but was charged with a shot-clock violation. Chris Cenac Jr. later missed a contested attempt with four seconds left. Blake Buchanan grabbed the rebound on the miss but missed the front end of a one-and-one; Lipsey grabbed the offensive board and batted the ball out to Joshua Jefferson, who drew a foul with one second remaining and sank the first free throw to make it a three-point game and seal the Cyclones' victory.
Jefferson led Iowa State with 12 points, Heise scored 11 and Buchanan contributed 10. For Houston, Kingston Flemings paced the visitors with 22 points, Emanuel Sharp had 16 — all coming in the first half — and Milos Uzan added 11. Houston coach Kelvin Sampson acknowledged the difficulty of the road matchup: "Iowa State's good. It's not an easy place to come in and win. " He added that while the loss stings, his team's effort was not in question.
Standings, momentum and what's next
The victory pushed Iowa State to 23-3 overall and 10-3 in conference play, reinforcing the Cyclones' surge after a convincing win over another top-10 opponent on Saturday. Houston drops to 23-3 and 11-2 in conference, and the Cougars' lead atop the standings has been trimmed to a half-game going into their next matchup on Saturday in Houston against a top-ranked opponent. Iowa State sits third in the league, a game back of the conference leader, and has now beaten two top-10 teams in three days.
Momentum and confidence will be the immediate takeaways for the Cyclones, who showed depth and poise in the closing moments. For Houston, the loss ends a six-game winning streak and presents a quick opportunity for a response. Both teams remain among the national elite, and Monday's clash underscored how thin margins and late possessions can decide high-stakes conference battles.
