Hilton Coliseum was rocking Tuesday night, and for good reason - Iowa State pulled off a statement win, knocking off No. 2 Houston in a 70-67 thriller that had all the energy of March in mid-February. The sixth-ranked Cyclones closed the game on a ferocious 17-2 run, flipping the script on the Cougars and sending a clear message: this team is for real.
It was a gutsy, grind-it-out kind of win - the kind that defines a season.
Down the stretch, Iowa State found another gear. After trailing for most of the second half, they surged ahead with 2:22 left when freshman guard Jamarion Batemon buried a clutch three-pointer to give the Cyclones a 66-65 lead.
From that moment on, it was all about poise and pressure. The Cyclones locked in defensively, forcing Houston into tough looks and coughing up key turnovers in the final minutes.
It wasn’t just the fans in Ames who were fired up. Tyrese Haliburton, now an NBA All-Star with the Indiana Pacers and a proud Iowa State alum, took to social media to celebrate the win in true Cyclone fashion: “YESSSIIRRRR,” he posted, punctuated by three cyclone emojis.
Haliburton knows what it means to wear the cardinal and gold. He played in Ames from 2018 to 2020, helping lead the team to the NCAA Tournament in his freshman season.
His sophomore year was cut short by a wrist injury and the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, but his impact on the program - and his connection to it - remains strong. He wrapped up his college career averaging 10.1 points, 4.4 boards, 4.7 assists, and 1.9 steals per game.
While Haliburton continues to rehab from an Achilles injury and has yet to suit up this season for the Pacers - who are currently sitting near the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings - his support for Iowa State hasn’t wavered. And with the way the Cyclones are playing, there’s plenty to cheer about.
Iowa State now improves to 23-3 overall and 10-3 in the Big 12, firmly in the mix at the top of one of the nation’s toughest conferences. Tuesday night’s win wasn’t just about one player - it was a full team effort. Joshua Jefferson filled the stat sheet with 12 points, six rebounds, and five assists, while Blake Buchanan and Nate Heise combined for 21 points and 10 boards, providing the kind of balance and toughness that’s become a hallmark of this squad.
Next up? A showdown with No.
23 BYU on Saturday. The Cyclones are rolling, and after toppling one of the nation’s best, they’re not sneaking up on anyone anymore.