Cougars can’t escape Hilton Magic in loss to Iowa State

Three top-10 opponents in eight days. That was the gauntlet facing No. 2 Houston men’s basketball, beginning with a matchup against No. 6 Iowa State on ESPN’s “Big Monday” at Hilton Coliseum.

What could have been a chance “to shock the world,” according to coach Kelvin Sampson, instead turned into a late collapse, as Houston squandered a 10-point lead in the final seven minutes.

“Iowa State doesn’t lose at home,” Sampson said ahead of the game.

He was right, as Hilton Magic proved too much for Houston to overcome in its 70-67 loss, dropping to 23-3 on the season and 11-2 in conference play.

In the game’s final two minutes, freshman guard Jamarion Batemon hit a 3-pointer to give the Cyclones their first lead since the 15-minute mark of the second half, after a 10-0 Cyclone run tied the game at 63.

The next time the Cyclones had the ball, redshirt senior guard Nate Heise knocked down a critical triple with 77 seconds remaining, giving Iowa State a two-point edge, just a minute after senior guard Milos Uzan missed the front end of a one-and-one free throw opportunity.

Freshman guard Kingston Flemings, who finished with a game-high 22 points, lost his footing as he drove for a potential game-tying shot on Houston’s final possession. When the play unraveled, freshman forward Chris Cenac Jr. ended up with the ball for one last look, but his shot came up short.

Following Sampson’s push for better work on the glass, Cenac collected 10 of his 12 rebounds in the second half, sparking Houston’s comeback from an early 10-point deficit of its own.

Still, Houston could not secure the rebound it needed most, as the smallest player on the floor, 6-foot-1 senior guard Tamin Lipsey, hauled in a Cyclone free throw miss with 1.9 seconds remaining.

Redshirt senior guard Emanuel Sharp, who finished with 16 points, was held scoreless in the second half after picking up his fourth foul with more than 14 minutes remaining. He later fouled out for the second consecutive game.

“I feel like we just didn’t bite down on the little details that we needed to in the second half,” Sharp said.

Houston turned the ball over five times in the second half, while Iowa State committed just three turnovers the entire game.

And although the Cyclones shot only 11-of-22 from the free-throw line, the Cougars missed their lone free-throw opportunity of the second half.

“We’ll lick our wounds on this one and go home and get ready for another big one on Saturday,” Sampson said.

Fortunately for the Cougars, they rarely lose at home either, having won 50 of their last 51 games at the Fertitta Center.

Now, they welcome No. 4 Arizona on Saturday, Feb. 21, at 2 p.m., holding a half-game lead over the Wildcats in the Big 12 race and hoping to create a little magic of their own.