After being down 16 points with only 15 minutes left in the game, the ISU men’s basketball team regained the lead when it counted most – with 1.6 seconds left in the game.

Wesley Johnson capped off a furious ISU (10-5, 1-0 Big 12) comeback by tipping in Mike Taylor’s missed 3-pointer with a second left in the game, downing Missouri (11-3, 0-1 Big 12), 66-65, in the Cyclones’ Big 12 conference opener.

Freshman guard Dodie Dunson led the Cyclones with a career-high 19 points, with Taylor adding 17. Johnson recorded his seventh double-double of the season, with 14 points and 13 rebounds.

The 16-point turnaround in the second half was the second largest second-half comeback in ISU history since overcoming an 18-point second-half deficit to defeat No. 2 Oklahoma State, 84-83, in overtime on Feb. 15, 1992.

Although conference play has begun, the Cyclones had plenty of nonconference basketball to take care of since the last publication day of the Iowa State Daily.

Iowa State won three of its five games during Winter Break, ending that stretch with consecutive victories to enter conference play with a 9-5 record.

The Cyclones beat Savannah State on Dec. 13, before losing consecutive games to Bradley and then-No. 4 Ohio State.

Wins against Southeast Missouri State and North Dakota State rounded out break action.

“We lost five [nonconference] games, but those five games – if we could take them back – we could win some of those games,” said forward Rahshon Clark. “We’re pretty good, but we could be a lot better.”

Taylor continued to lead the Cyclones offensively over break, knocking down 16 points per game during that five-game stretch. But he hasn’t had to do it alone.

Johnson has continued to improve, providing a consistent second scoring threat as well as becoming a force rebounding the basketball.

Johnson – the Big 12’s player of the week for his efforts against Savannah State and Bradley – averaged 12.8 points and 10.6 rebounds in Iowa State’s last five games. He has six double-doubles on the season and also leads the team in blocked shots.

Iowa State also received strong contributions from Clark (16 points, 8 rebounds vs. Savannah State), Cory Johnson (13 points vs. Southeast Missouri State) and Jiri Hubalek (19 points, 11 rebounds vs. North Dakota State).

Iowa State hosts Nebraska in its Big 12 home opener at 7 p.m. Wednesday in Hilton Coliseum.