No. 6 Iowa State stuns No. 2 Houston with dramatic 70-67 comeback victory
Iowa State Cyclones forward Dominykas Pleta (21) celebrates after a dunk around Houston Cougars forward Joseph Tugler (11) during the second half in the Big-12 men’s basketball at Hilton Coliseum on Feb. 16, 2026, in Ames, Iowa
It was vintage Hilton Magic with the nation watching as No. 6 Iowa State pulled off one of the season’s most dramatic comebacks, rallying from a double-digit deficit to defeat No. 2 Houston 70-67 on Monday night. The Cyclones closed with a devastating 17-4 run over the final seven minutes to hand the Cougars their first loss in seven games.
When Kingston Flemings hit a 3-points to put Houston up 63-53 with seven minutes remaining, the game appeared to be slipping away from Iowa State. But the Cyclones (23-3, 10-3 Big 12) had other plans, embarking on a furious rally that showcased why Hilton Coliseum remains one of college basketball’s most intimidating venues.
Heise delivers in clutch moments
Nate Heise emerged as the hero for Iowa State, hitting the go-ahead 3-points from the left corner with 1:17 to play to give the Cyclones a 69-67 lead they would never relinquish. The junior guard was perfect from beyond the arc, connecting on all three of his 3-points attempts in a flawless 11-point performance.
« 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. »
The victory was made even more special for Heise, whose sister Taylor scored earlier in the day to help the U.S. women’s hockey team defeat Sweden 5-0 and advance to the gold medal game at the Milan Cortina Olympics. « It’ll be fun because I think they went to sleep before the [Iowa State] game started, so they’ll wake up to some fun texts, » Heise said. « Obviously, it was cool earlier when she scored a goal and they won and they’re on to the championship. So, pretty good day. »
Houston (23-3, 11-2 Big 12) had two chances to tie or take the lead after Heise’s clutch shot, but the Cougars were called for a shot clock violation with 43 seconds left, and Chris Cenac Jr. missed a crucial shot with four seconds remaining. Tamin Lipsey secured the victory with a critical offensive rebound after Blake Buchanan missed a free throw, tapping the ball to Joshua Jefferson, who was fouled and made his free throw for the final margin.
Jefferson led Iowa State with 12 points and five assists, while Flemings topped all scorers with 22 points for Houston. The loss cut the Cougars’ Big 12 Conference lead to just half a game over No. 4 Arizona, with Iowa State now sitting third, one game behind Houston.
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