Mark Sears scored 24 points and No. 9 Alabama beat No. 6 Houston 85-80 in overtime on Tuesday night in the opener of the Players Era Festival.
After squandering an eight-point lead with 8:53 left in the game, and allowing Houston to force overtime, Alabama outscored the Cougars 7-2 in the extra frame for the win.
Houston’s LJ Cryer, who led all scorers with a career-high matching 30 points, had a chance to win the game but missed a mid-range baseline jumper with two seconds remaining.
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Grant Nelson had 13 points and 10 rebounds, and Mouhamed Dioubate had 10 points and 16 rebounds for Alabama.
Emanuel Sharp finished with 14 points while J’Wan Roberts added 11 for the Cougars.
Takeaways
Alabama: The game was the Tide’s third in a row against a Top 25 team. After losing at then-No. 13 Purdue 87-78, they beat then-No. 25 Illinois 100-87 on a neutral court in Birmingham.
Houston: Sharp came into the event leading the Cougars and the Big 12 Conference with a nation’s second-highest 3-point shooting percentage of 73.3% (11 of 15). The sophomore wasn’t as sharp against the Tide, though, finishing the game hitting 2 of 6 from long range.
Key moment
With 24 seconds left in overtime and the Tide leading 84-80, Houston’s Joseph Tugler drove the lane but had his shot blocked by Alabama’s Derrion Reid. Roberts then fouled Reid, who made one of two free throws to extend the lead to five and essentially seal the win.
Key stat
Alabama took 41 free-throw attempts and made 30 of them, while Houston had five players commit four or five fouls. Both Sharp and Milos Uzan fouled out of the game for the Cougars.
Up next
Alabama will face Rutgers in the second round of the event on Wednesday, while Houston plays Notre Dame in its second-round game.
Reporting by The Associated Press.
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