No. 6 Iowa State storms back to beat No. 2 Houston in thriller

In a game that featured one of the best environments of the entire season, No. 6 Iowa State put together a late rally to down No. 2 Houston, 70-67, on Monday night.

The Cyclones took a 43-40 lead into the break, but found themselves down 10 with seven minutes to play. That was when Iowa State went on a 17-4 run to close the game and improve to 15-0 at home this season.

Senior guard Nate Heise, whose sister, Taylor, scored a goal for the Team USA women's hockey team against Sweden in the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics on Monday, hit the go-ahead triple with 1:17 remaining to put Iowa State up 69-67, a lead it would not relinquish in the final minute.

Iowa State adds another top-10 win to stacked resume

The Cougars (23-3, 11-2 Big 12) and Cyclones (23-3, 10-3 Big 12) entered the night as two of the top teams in the country, and they certainly showed why. For Iowa State, specifically, it is its second consecutive win over a top-10 opponent after taking down then-No. 9 Kansas on Saturday.

The Cyclones are now 3-0 against top-10 teams this season, and extended their home winning streak against Associated Press top-10 opponents to nine, which is tied for the longest streak in Big 12 history.

While freshman sensation Kingston Flemings had another impressive showing for Houston with 22 points (9-of-15 FG), Iowa State had more of a balanced approach with all eight players scoring at least six points in the game, led by senior forward Joshua Jefferson's 12 points (4-of-10 FG).

Senior guard Tamin Lipsey had nine points, but his offensive rebound off a free throw miss from junior forward Blake Buchanan with two seconds remaining sealed the victory.

Both teams were projected to be two-seeds in ESPN's Joe Lunardi's latest bracketology. One reason for Iowa State's success so far has been its sixth-ranked defense (64.6 PPG), which was on display once again in the closing moments of Monday's contest.

Three of Iowa State's final five regular-season opponents are ranked teams, so the gauntlet only continues in the Big 12. If the Cyclones have proven anything up to this point, though, it is that they are an even tougher out against stiffer competition.

Heise's clutch play down the stretch is another example of the depth on this Iowa State roster and why it is constructed to make a deep run in March. With another top-10 win on their resume, it is hard to dispute the Cyclones as national title threats and a team that nobody wants to face.