No. 6 Iowa State Cyclones tightened the Big 12 men’s basketball race in dramatic fashion Monday night, knocking off No. 2 Houston Cougars, 70-67, at home.
In a conference that has long thrived on chaos and heavyweight showdowns, this one more than delivered and the ripple effects could be massive. With Arizona Wildcats men’s basketball trending the wrong direction after back-to-back losses, Iowa State’s victory over first-place Houston injects new life into the title chase.
The Cyclones started red-hot, opening on an 11-0 run and drilling their first three 3-point attempts. But Houston’s trademark defense finally showed up, flipping the script after halftime. The Cougars outscored ISU 15-6 early in the second half and dominated the glass (20-11) while piling up second-chance points.
That’s How You Start The Second Half!#Cyclones | #C5C | @blake_buchanan4 pic.twitter.com/6axsqGUd4r
— Iowa State Men’s Basketball (@CycloneMBB) February 17, 2026
Down 63-62 with under four minutes left, Iowa State responded with a 9-0 surge to reclaim control. Clutch outside shot from Jamarion Batemon and Nate Heise ignited the crowd, and Tamin Lipsey secured the game’s biggest rebound in the final seconds after an ISU missed free-throw attempt.
Houston’s Emanuel Sharp finished with 16 points but battled foul trouble late, limiting the Cougars’ closing punch, while Kingston Flemings led the team with 22 points.
Now 10-3 in league play, Iowa State has firmly re-entered what’s shaping up to be another classic Big 12 title fight.
