Two national championship contenders from the Big 12 faced off — and lived up to the bill — when Iowa State knocked off Houston, 70-67, at home on Feb. 16.
He lived up to the moment, leading all scorers with 22 points, five rebounds and four assists in 37 minutes played.
Watch Houston vs. Iowa State men’s basketball live with Fubo (free trial)
Iowa State, meanwhile, also has a veteran group. The Cyclones (21-3, 8-3) are led by multi-year starters Milan Momcilovic, Joshua Jefferson and Tamin Lipsey, making them one of the most-experience rosters in college basketball. Momcilovic and Jefferson are averaging 18.4 and 17 points per game this season, respectively.
Lipsey emerged as the hero for Iowa State, tying the game up with a late free throw and later securing a key offensive rebound with just one second on the clock to give the Cyclones one more shot to extend their one-possession lead.
Iowa State vs. Houston highlights
FINAL: Iowa State wins 70-67
An epic final two minutes saw the lead change hands multiple times. Jamarion Bateman hit a 22-footer for three for Iowa State. Kingston Flemings got a pull up jumper for Houston. Nate Heise made another three, and the roof at Hilton Coliseum blew off as the Cyclones went up 69-67 with a minute left to go.
Tamin Lipsey was once again the hero, securing a crucial rebound with one second left after Blake Buchanan missed his free throw. The ball ended up in Joshua Jefferson’s hands at the free throw line. He only made the first one, but the Cougars were forced to take a full-court heave as time expired.
The Cyclones ended the game on a 17-4 run after originally losing the lead three minutes into the second half.
2nd Half: Cyclones cap off 10-0 run to tie it late
Now it’s the Cougars who have gone cold. Dominykas Pleta and Joshua Jefferson each got buckets in the paint to bring Iowa State to within one point. After a double team forced Kingston Flemings into a bad shot from the corner that hit the side of the backboard, Tamin Lipsey got the rebound and drove right back into the lane and was fouled by Joseph Tugler.
Lipsey hit one of two free throws shots to tie things up at 64-64 with 3:40 to go.
2nd Half: Houston, Iowa State battling as Cougs’ depth gets tested, Houston leads 63-58
Houston big man Chris Cenac Jr. drained a three at the 15-minute mark in the second half to give the Cougars their first lead of the night. Kingston Flemings hit another three eight minutes later to extend their lead to double digits for his 20th point of the game, leading all scorers.
Houston took control of the game despite some late foul trouble from Sharp and Isiah Harwell falling awkwardly on his ankle.
Iowa State, meanwhile, had gone cold from three in the second half, shooting 0-9 until Jamarion Bateman hit a huge one to cut their deficit down to five points with five and a half minutes to go.
HALFTIME: Iowa State leads Houston 43-40
This one feels like a March Madness game. Both teams are shooting the ball well — 56% from the floor and 65% from three-point range for Iowa State, while Houston’s shooting 52% and 44% from deep.
The Cougars backcourt has combined for 34 points between Emanuel Sharp, who has a game-leading 16 points, Kingston Flemings and Milos Uzan, who have each scored nine. Uzan also has five assists, three rebounds and a steal.
The Cyclones offense has been more of a team effort. They don’t have any scorers in double figures, but they have a slight edge in rebounds (16-12) while being virtually similar in assists (9-8).
16:33 First Half: Joshua Jefferson sparks early Iowa State run
Senior forward Joshua Jefferson is putting his mark on the game from the tip-off. He’s got seven points with an assist to help the Cyclones get off to a 13-5 lead in the first four minutes.
What TV channel is Houston vs Iowa State on today?
TV channel: ESPN
Streaming: ESPN app, Fubo (free trial)
Houston-Iowa State will air live on ESPN, with streaming options on the ESPN app or Fubo, which offers a free trial.
Houston vs Iowa State time today
Time: 9 p.m. ET
Date: Monday, Feb. 16
Location: Hilton Coliseum (Ames, Iowa)
Cougars-Cyclones is set for a 9 p.m. ET tipoff on Monday, Feb. 16, from Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa.
Houston vs Iowa State odds
Odds via BetMGM as of Monday, Feb. 16
Spread: Iowa State (-2.5)
Moneyline: Iowa State -150 | Houston +125
Over/Under: 134.5
