The end of games has meant the end of offense for Iowa State.

Two games in a row, the Cyclones have failed to execute -- or even really run -- meaningful offense late in close contests, and for the second-straight game, it cost them a victory.

No. 19 ISU failed to score as regulation and overtime came to a close and ultimately lost at home to Cincinnati, 55-54.

"They don't give you great looks all the time," ISU coach Steve Prohm said of the Bearcats' defense. "The biggest thing is you've got to continue to get ball movement."

Which, as it happens, is exactly what the Cyclones (5-2) didn't do down the stretch.

Just as it did against Gonzaga in a close loss Sunday, ISU failed to put any serious pressure on the defense, instead opting to play isolation offense.

The Cyclones turned to Hero Ball, and instead of looking like the Avengers, they were the Bond villain taking the time to explain the intricacies of the plan just well enough for it to be foiled.

Instead of bending the defense with penetration and passing, the Cyclones faced off against a unified wall, and time and again smacked right into it.

"We just didn't make shots," ISU All-American Monte Morris said after scoring a game-high 15 points. "That's it."

Well, that wasn't just it. The shots that were missing were difficult, contested ones taken out of rhythm.

Certainly, Cincinnati deserves credit as its defense swarmed and stifled the high-powered Cyclones attack all night, keeping them to their lowest point total at HIlton Coliseum since 2009, but it wasn't just the Bearcats.

The Cyclones failed to execute late in its loss to the 'Zags last weekend for many of the same reasons.

This is an ISU issue.

Against Gonzaga, the Cyclones went the final 3 minutes of the game without a point and more than four minutes without a basket.

Then, shot selection was, while not necessarily bad, iffy. Morris launched a 3-pointer. Naz Mitrou-Long fired away. Deonte Burton, who was red-hot at the time, let it fly from the top of the key without any ball movement.

Then, with the game on the line, Prohm couldn't call in a variation of the play he wanted run, and the Cyclones didn't get a shot off before the buzzer in the two-point loss.

In that game Sunday, ISU didn't push after a missed Gonzaga free throw in the final seconds because Prohm wanted a timeout amid concerns about getting a good shot after the offensive woes ISU had suffered through in the clutch.

So instead of seeing a defense in transition, the Cyclones let the 'Zags gather themselves and their strategy. That allowed for Gonzaga to plan to use its foul to give, which ISU credited for eventually fouling up its final play.

ISU's late-game failures followed them back to Ames.

In the final 3 minutes, 57 seconds of regulation against the Bearcats, ISU managed just two points, which came on a difficult but deserved layup from Morris, who bullied through the defense and delivered on a tough layup to put the Cyclones up four.

Even if that wasn't the product of ball movement, it was the result of aggressiveness, forcing the defense to react and make itself vulnerable either at the point of attack or elsewhere.

But after that came a missed 3-pointer by Morris, a turnover by Matt Thomas and a 3-pointer that rattled in and out by Mitrou-Long.

The Cyclones were only in a position to win in overtime because their defense provided transition opportunities.

Down by one with just more than 3 minutes to play, Thomas stole the ball and cruised in for a layup. On the next possession, Morris came up from a steal and missed his layup attempt, but Burton was there to clean it up and put the Cyclones up three with 2:29 left.

That was the last time they would score.

What followed was a Burton isolation 3-point shot and a Morris isolation jumper.

No passing, no points.

"I've got to make sure we're moving the ball in those situations," Prohm said. "Even if you want it in certain guys' hands, but just to shift the defense a little bit."

Down one with 20 seconds left after a pair of Cincinnati free throws, Prohm this time elected not to call a timeout, opting to let his senior-laden group play for the win.

Instead of crisp execution, the Cyclones delivered hapless confusion, resulting in Mitrou-Long airball from 3.

That's when the game reached its conclusion.

ISU's offense acted as though it ended much earlier.

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