Houston Cougars On SI

Alabama beats Houston in overtime in top 10 college basketball showdown

The Cougars and Crimson Tide put on a show in Las Vegas

Ben Sherman

Houston Cougar guard Emanuel Sharp (21) and forward J'Wan Roberts (13) maneuver around Alabama Crimson Tide guard Mark Sears (1) and center Clifford Omoruyi (11) during the first half at MGM Grand Garden Arena.
Houston Cougar guard Emanuel Sharp (21) and forward J'Wan Roberts (13) maneuver around Alabama Crimson Tide guard Mark Sears (1) and center Clifford Omoruyi (11) during the first half at MGM Grand Garden Arena. / Jeffrey (Tyge) O'Donnell-Imagn Images
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College basketball fans were treated to another early-season NCAA Tournament atmosphere Tuesday night as No. 6 Houston and No. 9 Alabama squared off in the first round of the Players Era Festival in Las Vegas.

Alabama emerged with an 85-80 victory in overtime.

Read our recap below with big-play highlights and in-game analysis from Alabama's win over Houston:

Final Stats: Alabama 85, Houston 80

Without Milos Uzan and Emanuel Sharp — who fouled out in the second half — the Cougars ran out of gas in overtime. LJ Cryer finished with 30 points, but missed his last eight shots from the field. JoJo Tugler was unbelievable on the defensive end with 8 rebounds, 8 blocks and 3 steals.

Mark Sears struggled in the first half, but turned it on down the stretch. Alabama's All-America point guard finished with 24 points to lead the Crimson Tide. Mouhamed Dioubate was a force for Alabama with 10 points, 16 rebounds and 3 blocks. Alabama outrebounded Houston 48-39.

No. 6 Houston (3-2) will play Notre Dame on Wednesday at 11:30 p.m. CT.

Overtime Updates

Alabama 85, Houston 80, final: LJ Cryer went cold down the stretch. Tough loss for Houston. Great ballgame.

Alabama 84, Houston 80, 23 seconds left: The Cougars just had a possession where they appeared to be fouled at least three times, but the officials swallowed the whistle. Alabama gets the stop and is headed to the free throw line to ice the game.

Alabama 82, Houston 80, 2:35 left: This is a heavyweight fight in the 12th round. The legs are almost gone, but both teams are still punching. JoJo Tugler now has EIGHT blocked shots for Houston.

Houston guards Milos Uzan and Emanuel Sharp fouled out in regulation. The Cougars will have to get contributions from Terrance Arceneaux and freshman Mercy Miller in the extra period.

Second Half Updates

Houston 78, Alabama 78, overtime: LJ Cryer's 15-footer rims out with 3 seconds left and we're headed to overtime. Free basketball in Las Vegas.

Houston 78, Alabama 78, 22 seconds left: Kelvin Sampson calls timeout to set up a final play for the Cougars. What a ballgame. LJ Cryer has 30, and Mark Sears has 21.

Emanuel Sharp fouls out: On a questionable call, Sharp picks up his fifth foul with 27 seconds left and Houston leading 78-76.

Houston 77, Alabama 73, 1:02 to play: Emanuel Sharp drains two free throws to give the Cougars a two-possession lead. Tremendous defense is being played on both ends, but Houston has been slightly better.

Houston 71, Alabama 67, 3:35 to play: LJ Cryer has taken over this game. He takes Grant Nelson off the dribble and hits an impossible runner to give the Cougars a four-point lead. He now has 28 points on 9-of-18 from the fied.

Houston 69, Alabama 65, 4:28 to play: LJ Cryer sinks two free throws to cap a 10-0 Houston run. Cryer has 26 points and Mark Sears has 16.

Houston 65, Alabama 65, 5:28 to play: J'Wan Roberts converts a three-point play to tie the game. The Cougars are playing with a ton of energy.

Alabama 65, Houston 62, 6:11 to play: LJ Cryer drills another 3-pointer to pull Houston within one possession. Cryer has a game-high 24 points.

Milos Uzan fouls out: With 6:29 to play, Las Vegas native Uzan picks up his fifth foul.

Alabama 56, Houston 50, 11:44 left: Latrell Wrightsell Jr. is heating up. He hits another 3-pointer to give Alabama a 6-point lead. LJ Cryer leads all scorers with 17 points.

Alabama 45, Houston 42, 15:50 left: The Crimson Tide drain two 3-pointers to take a 3-point lead. LJ Cryer is still getting buckets.

Halftime Stats: Houston 36, Alabama 34

The matchup to watch, LJ Cryer vs. Mark Sears, has been one-sided so far. Cryer had 11 points in the first half, while Sears scored just 8.

First Half Updates

Halftime score: Houston 36, Alabama 34

Houston 30, Alabama 29: 2:54 left: Mylik Wilson has five big points off the bench for the Cougars.

Houston 23, Alabama 23, 5:51 left: LJ Cryer drains another jumper to tie the game. Back and forth we go.

Houston 21, Alabama 15, 8:41 left: LJ Cryer drills a jumper to give Houston a 6-point lead. Neither team can get separation and it's pretty clear this game is going to come down to the wire.

Houston 10, Alabama 9: 11:58 left: The Cougars have gone cold from the field. Mouhamed Dioubate's length is a problem for Houston. Joseph Tugler and J'Wan Roberts are two of the longest forwards in the country, but Dioubate is equally as long.

Houston 8, Alabama 3: 16:03 left: Emanual Sharp drills a 3-pointer to give the Cougars an early five-point lead. It's clear this game is going to be a defensive slugfest — as most Houston games are.

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Ben Sherman
BEN SHERMAN

Ben Sherman has been covering the sports world for most of his journalism career, including 17 years with The Oregonian/OregonLive. One of his favorite memories was covering the 1999 Fiesta Bowl - the first BCS National Championship Game - at Sun Devil Stadium.

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