2 Key Takeaways From No. 2 Houston Cougars' Tough Loss at No. 6 Iowa State
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When their depth was tested to the near brink in a historically difficult Hilton Coliseum environment, No. 2 Houston Cougars relied on second-half scoring and board hustle from their starting freshmen.
But when the No. 6 Iowa State Cyclones closed out on a late 17-4 run, including two triples from freshman guard Jamarion Batemon, Hilton Magic set in to hand the Cougars a 70-67 loss Monday night in Ames.
It ultimately spoiled a 22-point night with four triples from freshman guard Kingston Flemings, who stepped up in the absence of redshirt senior guard Emanuel Sharp's foul trouble midway in the second half.
Though Houston dropped to 11-2 in Big 12 play, it still remains atop the league standings no matter No. 4 Arizona's result on Feb. 18, leaving the template for a potential conference title-deciding matchup on Feb. 21 at Fertitta Center.
Despite the late scoring funk setting a frustrating tone, there were three takeaways that made for small wins and a reminder that the "Hilton Magic" is typically just plain difficult to come by.
Hilton Magic: A tale as old as time
No matter how the Cyclones manage to find a way, they find their way when paired with their hostile crowd and high overall winning percentage at Hilton Coliseum.
Houston became the 15th victim of Iowa State's undefeated home stretch in 2025-26, behind losing its turnover battle by minus-4 and just four points in the final 7:45, but from a moral angle, both teams remain undefeated on their home courts.
The ending became a familiar sight to Houston's first trip to Hilton Coliseum on Jan. 9, 2024, when a late jumper from then-freshman forward Milan Momcilovic cemented a 57-53 win for Iowa State to hand the Cougars their first loss as a Big 12 member just two games in.
Though lessons are to be learned for the Cougars, and it feels like a winnable game that slipped away, it points back to the typicality of life on the road in the Big 12 and only bolsters coach Kelvin Sampson's constant reminder of limiting overreactions.
Despite loss, Cenac distances the boards in second half
Entering the second half, freshman forward Chris Cenac Jr. had just two rebounds with Houston at a minus-4 disadvantage.
What kept the Cougars mostly afloat in that battle before the late scoring funk was his 10 second-half rebounds that helped them flip to a late positive finish, despite it not becoming the difference in preventing the funk.
The most glaring highlight of those 10-second half rebounds, however, came when Cenac grabbed three offensive boards in one possession from the 17:06 to 16:42 mark.
Not only did it leave impressions of his maturity on the glass compared to the beginning of the season, but it also spoke to the willingness to not give up on a play in a team effort, which typically tends to be undervalued for lottery-range NBA draft prospects.
Even in a losing effort Monday, five regular-season games remain for these spurts on the boards to make for one step towards winning the league and a favorable seeding for March.
Michael Carrara is a staff writer for Houston Cougars on SI. He attends the University of Houston, where he is a journalism major and a marketing minor. He is also a sports writer and reporter for the Daily Cougar, having covered baseball as an NCBWA member. You can find Michael on all major social media channels, including X on @michaelcoalec.