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Clone wars
No. 6 Iowa State rallies past No. 2 Houston in a classic Big 12 showdown. We break it down. Plus: the numbers behind Duke's demolition of Syracuse, Stephen F. Austin wins its 12th in a row, a rare Saturday awaits, and why Illinois' offense isn't the most efficient ever (yet).
Mike Miller
February 17, 2026
In partnership with
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1. Cyclones storm to another Top 10 win
Nobody had a better holiday weekend than Iowa State.
Two days after thrashing Kansas in a Top 10 showdown, the No. 6 Cyclones used a 17-4 rally in the final seven minutes to upend No. 2 Houston, 70-67. Per ESPN, it made coach TJ Otzelberger 5-3 against teams ranked in the top 2 of the AP poll.
No other coach has more top two wins since 2021.
“Iowa State’s good. It’s not an easy place to come in and win,” Houston coach Kelvin Sampson said. “I’m disappointed we didn’t win. I’m not disappointed in our effort.”
It was the type of game where both teams made runs and seemed to take control. It’s just that Iowa State (23-3, 10-3 in Big 12) did it last. It grabbed an early lead with a 13-0 run, only to see Houston fight back with a 13-2 run midway through the first half, and another 13-2 run midway through the second half. The Cyclones didn’t relent, and also caught some breaks.
The Cougars (23-3, 11-2) were up 63-55 with just over 6 minutes remaining when defender Joseph Tugler was called for a kicked ball just when they were about to go on a fast break. Replays showed Tugler got a hand on the ball, but Iowa State kept possession and freshman Jamarion Batemon hit a 3-pointer. Five minutes later, another Cyclones 3, this time from Nate Heise, beat the rotating Houston defense.
(Quick aside: Heise’s sister, Taylor, scored a goal for the US women’s hockey team earlier on Monday to help Team USA reach the gold-medal game. He said his shot was better.)
When Tamin Lipsey grabbed an offensive rebound off a missed Iowa State free throw in the final seconds, that locked it up.
Both teams had impressive shot-making throughout despite it being a matchup of two of the sport’s most ferocious defenses. Iowa State shot 56% from the field in the first half and hit 6-of-9 from deep. Houston was 52% in the first half and 7-of-16 from deep. They both cooled off in the second half, but Iowa State still managed 1.2 points per possession vs. Houston, helped in large part by only committing three turnovers all game.
Otzelberger told the After Dark crew that his players were boosted by the lively home crowd.
The Iowa State win snapped a six-game win streak from Houston and knotted the Big 12 race even further. And it won’t get easier. Houston hosts Arizona on Saturday, then travels to Kansas next Monday, while Iowa State’s at BYU before hosting Texas Tech and traveling to Arizona at the start of March.
Sounds like games worthy of title contenders.
2. Duke crushes ‘Cuse, looks ready for Michigan
No. 3 Duke wasn’t perfect in its 101-64 win over Syracuse on Monday night. But it was awfully close.
The Blue Devils missed eight of their first 11 shots, and were even with Syracuse seven minutes into the game — then Duke only missed nine of their 38 attempts, including a remarkable 17-of-0 start to the second half. They shot 72% in that half, 62% for the game, and looked like a team ready to face No. 1 Michigan on Saturday.
Per ESPN Insights, Duke was:
29-of-31 on uncontested shots, 94%, for 69 points
11-of-13 on open 3s
10-of-11 on second chances
52 paint points, tied for the most Syracuse has allowed in the last two seasons
It scored 1.57 points per possession, its fifth-best single-game performance in KenPom’s database.
“Our transition game really showed tonight,” coach Jon Scheyer said. “Guys made simple plays. The connectivity was at a high level tonight. I think it’s easy when you get a lead and start looking at the scoreboard and think about your points. I didn’t see any of that.”
And if Duke (24-2, 13-1 in ACC) was rolling, it’s a good bet that Cameron Boozer was driving it. The freshman continued his stellar season, scoring 22 points on 8-of-10 shooting, grabbing 12 rebounds, and dishing two assists. Isaiah Evans added 21 points, while Nik Khamenia and Cayden Boozer combined for 26 points off the bench.
Syracuse (15-12, 6-8) has lost 11 in a row to Duke.
3. Stephen F. Austin holds on + more results
Stephen F. Austin’s 12th consecutive had all the makings of an easy win. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi didn’t let it.
