Cougars' winning streak ends with loss against No. 6 Iowa State behind Fleming's 22-point game
In a Monday night, Feb. 17 (ET) classic, houston vs iowa state delivered a finish worthy of March attention: No. 6 Iowa State rallied from a second-half deficit to upend No. 2 Houston 70-67, ending the Cougars' six-game winning streak and trimming the conference margin as the postseason approaches.
Late heroics and a decisive few seconds
Iowa State closed the game on a 17-4 run and flipped a 10-point second-half hole into the victory. The sequence that decided the game began when Nate Heise buried a go-ahead 3-pointer from the left corner with 1: 17 remaining, pushing the Cyclones ahead 69-67. Houston had two late opportunities to respond but was called for a shot-clock violation with 43 seconds left and then missed on the final possession with four seconds to play.
Chaos followed the miss: Blake Buchanan grabbed the offensive rebound on a Chris Cenac Jr. attempt but missed the front end of a one-and-one. Tamin Lipsey tracked down the loose ball, tapped it back to Joshua Jefferson, and Jefferson was fouled with one second left. Jefferson drilled the first free throw, which proved to be the game-winner.
"Of all the games from him as a Cyclone, tonight stands out as the one that was most elite, " Iowa State coach T. J. Otzelberger said of Heise. "The confidence he's playing with is awesome. " Heise finished 3-for-3 from distance and chipped in 11 points; Jefferson led the Cyclones with 12.
Standout performances and momentum swings
Houston received a 22-point night from Kingston Fleming, the team's top scorer on the evening, while Emanuel Sharp scored 16 points — all before halftime — and Milos Uzan added 11. Even with those outputs, the Cougars could not withstand Iowa State's late surge and timely plays on the glass.
Key defensive stops and opportunistic offense fueled the Cyclones. Tamin Lipsey's effort plays were highlighted by the offensive rebound that directly led to the final scoring chance, the kind of play Otzelberger said "there's no script" for but that can swing close games. Blake Buchanan contributed 10 points, and the unit as a whole tightened at the finish to hold off a Houston roster that fought hard until the final whistle.
Big 12 implications and what's next
The upset leaves both programs with identical 23-3 overall records, but it shuffled the Big 12 pecking order: Houston's conference mark sits at 11-2 while Iowa State moves to 10-3, closing the gap as the calendar turns toward March. The Cyclones now have consecutive marquee wins, having knocked off a top-10 opponent two games in three days.
Houston coach Kelvin Sampson reflected on the loss with tempered disappointment: "Iowa State's good. It's not an easy place to come in and win. I'm disappointed we didn't win. I'm not disappointed in our effort. " The Cougars will regroup quickly, returning to their home floor for a Saturday matchup that could be pivotal for seeding and momentum heading into the final stretch.
For Iowa State, the victory underscores a growing belief that this team can make noise in the postseason. Heise's late-game composure, Jefferson's presence inside and Lipsey's knack for timely plays combined to produce a road triumph that will linger in Cyclone memories well past selection Sunday.
