Vanderbilt dug themselves a hole in the first half, going through a cold stretch that allowed Iowa State to build a 26-15 lead at Memorial Gym. But the Commodores rallied and tied the game at halftime, before an 11-2 run early in the second half built a big enough lead for Vanderbilt to survive a late rally by the Cyclones to win.
Fans had to sweat it out, though: after Vanderbilt led 75-61 at the final media timeout, turnovers by the Commodores and some big shots by the Cyclones paced a rally that, a few days after the Commodores blew a 15-point lead against Arkansas in the closing minutes, had Vanderbilt fans worried they might see the same thing again.