HOUSTON — In a battle of the Big 12’s top teams, No. 6 Iowa State (20-6, 9-4 Big 12) came up short at No. 2 Houston (23-3, 10-3 Big 12), falling 73-65. Monday night’s meeting was the fourth top-six matchup in school history for ISU.

The Cougars picked up their 20th-straight home victory, as the Fertitta Center has been a tough venue for visiting teams. In fact, Iowa State is the first team this season to even come within ten points of the Cougars by the time of the final whistle.

ISU failed to force more than 10 turnovers for just the second time in the T.J. Otzelberger Era, as the Cougar backcourt took care of the ball on the way to victory.

Monday night’s matchup featured more scoring than the first time the two teams met in January – a 57-53 win for the Cyclones – as both teams shot 42 percent from the floor despite two of the nation’s top three defenses being on display.

The free throw line was a major difference in the game, as Houston knocked down 14 more freebies (24-32) as it picked up an eight-point win. Iowa State outrebounded Houston – the third-best rebounding team in the conference – by nine, limiting UH to just eight offensive boards which was the fewest in any game this season and the first time it had been held under 10.

Keshon Gilbert again led the Cyclone attack, as the junior from St. Louis dropped 17 points on 6-10 shooting from the field with three triples. Tre King had a monster game for the Cyclones, as the senior knocked down three triples of his own, going a perfect 3-for-3 from downtown. King also had eight rebounds – the most of any player on the court. Curtis Jones was the third ISU player to finish in double figures, dropping 13.

Houston was led by their superstar guard Jamal Shead who poured in 26 points on the night – his second-most points in a single game. Emanuel Sharp was also solid for the Cougs, scoring 20 points.