Iowa
Iowa State basketball, 5 standout stats from win over Houston
AMES — A sea of gold erupted in celebration as Iowa State basketball senior Tamin Lipsey secured the game-sealing rebound, a fitting crescendo for a game that featured plenty of grit and grind between both the Cyclones and visiting Houston Cougars.
Every made shot was hard-earned and well-celebrated, and the same went for every effort play that helped piece together a massive win over the No. 2 Cougars on Feb. 16.
Iowa State overcame a 10-point deficit late and in an exchange of baskets, Nate Heise had the decisive 3-pointer to put the Cyclones in front. Joshua Jefferson added the final touch with a free throw to seal it.
Houston’s last-second heave was well short and the postgame celebrations and chorus of Mr. Brightside lyrics commenced. Iowa State won, 70-67.
Jefferson had 12 points, Heise added 11 points off the bench, while Blake Buchanan had 10 points.
For Houston, Kingston Flemings had a game-high 22 points.
Here are five standout stats from the win:
4 — Lead changes in the final 3:45
Houston’s Kingston Flemings had a 3-pointer to give the Cougars a 10-point lead, their largest of the game with 7:09 left.
Iowa State rumbled back with a 10-0 run, a stretch capped by Tamin Lipsey going 1-of-2 from the free-throw line. The game was knotted up at 63-63 each with 3:45 left, and the back-and-forth battle kept going through the final whistle.
Houston’s Chris Cenac Jr. was left by himself and got an easy basket to regain the lead.
Jamarion Batemon broke a 3-point shooting drought for Iowa State, after the Cyclones missed nine straight 3-pointers in the second half. Flemings knocked down a jumper that put Houston up, 67-66, with 1:49 to go.
Iowa State’s Nate Heise answered back with the go-ahead basket, a corner 3-pointer with the shot clock winding down to put Iowa State up, 69-67.
After a defensive stop, a missed front end of a one-and-one for added suspense — which was recovered by Tamin Lipsey — Joshua Jefferson added an insurance point for the Cyclones.
10 — Combined turnovers between Iowa State, Houston
Both teams are two of the top turnover-generating units in the entire country. The Cougars have also been one of the best teams at taking care of the ball offensively, boasting the second-lowest turnover rate in the country.
Despite immense pressure, bodies hitting the floor for loose balls, and a series of double teams and traps, the Cougars and Cyclones were able to minimize turnovers in this high-level contest.
Iowa State won the turnover battle, 7-3, and the few turnovers ISU was able to create helped fuel a 10-0 run that helped the Cyclones tie the game with 3:45 remaining. Iowa State was able to get two baskets off turnovers to keep the run going.
There were no easy baskets in transition or turnover opportunities. Everything came hard-earned.
Impressively, Iowa State only had three turnovers for the game, but the Cyclones didn’t log a single turnover in the final 18 minutes of action.
8 — Tamin Lipsey rebounds for Iowa State
Lipsey finished with a team-high eight rebounds, which is a tribute to his hustle and persistence.
The Cyclones lost the rebounding battle despite leading on the boards going into halftime. Houston came out of the break with a renewed effort and outrebounded the Cyclones 23-15 and finished with a 35-31 edge for the game.
Despite that, Lipsey had the boards that mattered. He had three offensive rebounds, including the key one at the end where he tracked the missed free throw and skied high.
34.4% — Houston second-half shooting percentage
After both teams shot more than 50% overall in the first half, both the Cyclones and Cougars cooled down after the halftime break.
Iowa State was able to slow down Houston and held the Cougars to shooting 11-of-32 (34.4%) overall in the second half, including a 5-of-18 showing from deep.
Emanuel Sharp dealt with foul trouble, but the Cyclones also defended well against Milos Uzan and Chris Cenac Jr.
22 — Points by Houston guard Kingston Flemings
The four-star recruit who became an immediate impact player and rapid stock-riser certainly lived up to the billing on Monday night.
Flemings, a 6-foot-4 guard who is mentioned in the top 10 of 2026 NBA mock drafts, was every bit impressive for the Cougars. His speed and swiftness applied a lot of pressure on the Cyclones’ defense, but he was also knocking down pull-up jumpers off the dribble and hitting 3-pointers at a high rate.
Flemings finished with 22 points on 9-of-15 shooting. He dealt most of his damage in the second half, when he went 3-for-4 from beyond the arc.
50% — Iowa State free-throw percentage
Had the Cyclones lost, it would have been the first area to make Iowa State fans think what-could-have-been.
Iowa State shot just 11-of-22 (50%) from the line, including a 2-of-7 mark in the second half.
You may also choose to look at this margin with a half-glass-full approach. Despite the Cyclones’ struggles at the free-throw line, they continued to be resilient and found another way to win and put away the game.
Nebraska men’s basketball faces a critical week that will determine its Big Ten Conference and NCAA Tournament seeding.
The Huskers play at UCLA on Tuesday night and finish the regular season next Sunday at home vs. Iowa.
The Huskers are currently tied for second place in the Big Ten with Michigan State. Both teams have four conference losses. They are one game in the loss column ahead of Illinois and Purdue, with five losses. Wisconsin has six losses.
The top four teams earn the coveted triple bye for the Big Ten Tournament. Regular-season champion Michigan has one spot locked up.
Here are the remaining schedules of the contenders for the triple bye, with conference record in parentheses:
Nebraska (14-4)
* Tuesday: at UCLA
* Sunday: vs. Iowa
Michigan State (13-4)
* Sunday: at Indiana
* Thursday: vs. Rutgers
* Sunday, March 8: at Michigan
Illinois (13-5)
* Tuesday: vs. Oregon
* Sunday, March 8: at Maryland
Purdue (12-5)
* Sunday: at Ohio State
* Wednesday: at Northwestern
* Saturday: vs. Wisconsin
Wisconsin (12-6)
* Wednesday: vs. Maryland
* Saturday: at Purdue
Maintaining an NCAA seed no worse than 3 should benefit the Huskers, who wouldn’t have to play, theoretically, the No. 1 seed until the Elite Eight game.
It’s a ton to play for in the final week of a historic regular season for Nebraska. But that’s what March is all about.
Nebraska at UCLA
When: Tuesday, 10 p.m. CT
Where: Pauley Pavilion, Los Angeles
Records: Nebraska, 25-4, 14-4 in Big Ten; UCLA, 19-10, 11-7 in Big Ten
TV: FS1
Rankings updated based on games through Saturday.
UCLA rankings
* Associated Press Top 25: Not ranked
* NCAA Net Ratings: 40
* USA Today Coaches Poll: Not ranked
* Kenpom.com: 41
* ESPN Power Index: 34
* Top 25 and 1: Not ranked
* Team Rankings.com: 41
In Joe Lunardi’s latest Bracketology projections for ESPN, UCLA is a 9-seed for the 68-team NCAA Tournament. The next Bracketology will be released Tuesday.
Nebraska rankings
* Associated Press Top 25: 12
* NCAA Net Ratings: 12
* USA Today Coaches Poll: 10
* Kenpom.com: 11
* ESPN Power Index: 15
* Top 25 and 1: 8
* Team Rankings.com: 11
In Joe Lunardi’s latest Bracketology projections for ESPN, Nebraska is a 3-seed for the 68-team NCAA Tournament.
Nebraska-UCLA analysis
The Bruins are coming off a strange week. They crushed visiting rival USC, 81-62, on Tuesday, then lost at Minnesota, 78-73, on Saturday.
UCLA is 16-1 at home, its only loss to Indiana, 98-97, in double overtime on Jan. 31.
The game will be a homecoming for Huskers forward Berke Buyuktuncel, who played at UCLA in 2023-24, his freshman season. Buyuktuncel has started 27 games and averages 6.7 points and 5.6 rebounds per game this season for the Huskers and frequently earns praise from coach Fred Hoiberg.
Nebraska thoroughly dispatched USC on Saturday, 82-67, an impressive performance on the road against a Trojans team desperate for a statement win to help — or save — their NCAA hopes.
Pryce Sandfort scored 32 points — one short of his career high — as the Huskers won their 14th conference game, a school record. Nebraska is 7-2 on the road in conference games.
This should be a great matchup — UCLA a strong team playing at home vs. a Nebraska team playing well and full of confidence. This feels like a one-possession game.
Iowa at Nebraska
When: Sunday, March 8, 4 p.m. CT
Where: Pinnacle Bank Arena
Records: Nebraska, 25-4, 14-4 in Big Ten; Iowa, 20-9, 10-8 in Big Ten
TV: Fox
Rankings updated based on games through Saturday.
Iowa rankings
* Associated Press Top 25: 33
* NCAA Net Ratings: 28
* USA Today Coaches Poll: 30
* Kenpom.com: 24
* ESPN Power Index: 35
* Top 25 and 1: Not ranked
* Team Rankings.com: 31
In Joe Lunardi’s latest Bracketology projections for ESPN, Iowa is an 8-seed for the 68-team NCAA Tournament.
Nebraska rankings
* Associated Press Top 25: 12
* NCAA Net Ratings: 12
* USA Today Coaches Poll: 10
* Kenpom.com: 11
* ESPN Power Index: 15
* Top 25 and 1: 8
* Team Rankings.com: 11
In Joe Lunardi’s latest Bracketology projections for ESPN, Nebraska is a 3-seed for the 68-team NCAA Tournament.
Nebraska-Iowa analysis
The Hawkeyes are coming off a puzzling, 71-69 loss at Penn State on Saturday. Iowa led 67-62 with 3:49 to play, and then scored only one more basket. Iowa plays host to Michigan on Thursday.
Nebraska will get a final curtain call at Pinnacle Bank Arena, where the Huskers are 15-2.
Nebraska should have revenge on its mind after losing at Iowa, 57-52, on Feb. 17, in Sandfort’s return to Iowa City, where he played for two seasons.
Whatever Nebraska nerves were a factor at Iowa shouldn’t be in play at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Nebraska shot only 21 percent from distance in Iowa City. Sandfort scored 13 points, his lowest total since Jan. 10, when he scored 12 at Indiana.
Iowa’s Bennett Stirtz scored 25 points. That won’t happen in this game. Neither will Nebraska’s ice-cold shooting from distance, especially if the game could determine the triple bye for the Huskers.
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The Class 1A and Class 2A Iowa high school boys basketball state tournament brackets are now official following substate action.
The Iowa High School Athletic Association Boys State Tournament begins Monday, March 9 from the Casey’s Center in Des Moines, Iowa.
St. Edmond, the top-seed in 1A, gets Woodbine in a rematch of a quarterfinal from a year ago. Woodbine ended the run of defending state champion Madrid in a substate final on the same court that St. Edmond qualified on when they defeated Riverside.
Burlington Notre Dame plays Bellevue, MMCRU meets Boyden-Hull and Bishop Garrigan battles Bellevue Marquette Catholic in the other elite eight games.
The other substate finals saw Burlington Notre Dame defeat Calamus-Wheatland, MMCRU eliminated North Union, Bishop Garrigan downed South Winneshiek, Bellevue bested East Marshall and Bellevue Marquette Catholic topped Montezuma.
In 2A, Kuemper Catholic is the No. 1 seed and will face Union Community in the opening game on Wednesday, March 11. The other quarterfinals see Treynor vs. Grundy Center, Unity Christian vs. defending state champion Western Christian and Iowa City Regina vs. Aplington-Parkersburg.
Kuemper Catholic survived vs. Roland-Story, Union knocked off Pella Christian in a nail-biter, Treynor bested Underwood, Grundy Center downed Beckman Catholic, Unity Christian handled Southeast Valley, Western Christian ran past Tri-Center, Iowa City Regina downed Northeast and Aplington-Parkersburg defeated Cascade.
Here are the Iowa High School Athletic Association Boys State Basketball Tournament pairings for Class 1A and Class 2A.
Quarterfinals
Tuesday, March 10
Semifinals
Thursday, March 12
Championship
Friday, March 13
Wednesday, March 11
Semifinals
Thursday, March 12
Championship
Friday, March 13
SAINT PAUL, Minn. – Minnesota Wild President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Bill Guerin today announced the National Hockey League (NHL) club has recalled forward Tyler Pitlick from the Iowa Wild of the American Hockey League (AHL).
Pitlick, 34 (11/1/91), has tallied two goals, 24 penalty minutes (PIM) and 26 shots in 31 games with Minnesota this season and ranks fourth on the team with 76 hits. He has also collected 11 points (8-3=11) and 31 shots in 12 games with Iowa. The 6-foot-2, 201-pound native of Minneapolis, Minn., owns 111 points (58-53=111) and 565 shots on goal in 451 career NHL games over 11 seasons with the Edmonton Oilers (2013-17), Dallas Stars (2017-19), Philadelphia Flyers (2019-20), Arizona Coyotes (2020-21), Calgary Flames (2021-22), Montreal Canadiens (2021-22), St. Louis Blues (2022-23), New York Rangers (2023-24) and Minnesota (2025-26). He has tallied three points (2-1=3) in 22 career Stanley Cup Playoff games. Pitlick has also recorded 140 points (60-89=149) in 289 career AHL games in parts of eight seasons with the Oklahoma City Barons (2011-15), Bakersfield Condors (2015-16), Hartford Wolf Pack (2023-24), Providence Bruins (2024-25) and Iowa (2025). He was originally selected by the Edmonton Oilers in the second round (31st overall) of the 2010 NHL Draft. Pitlick was signed by Minnesota as a free agent on July 2, 2025, and wears sweater No. 19 with the Wild.
Minnesota hosts the St. Louis Blues tomorrow at 4 p.m. CT on FanDuel Sports Network and KFAN FM 100.3.
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