No. 9 Alabama outlasts No. 6 Houston 85-80 in overtime at Players Era Festival
LAS VEGAS (AP) 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Alabama will face Rutgers in the second round of the event on Wednesday, while Houston plays Notre Dame in its second-round game.
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| Time | Team | Play | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20:00 |  | (Crimson Tide gains possession) | ||
| 19:48 | | Labaron Philon turnover (bad pass) (L.J. Cryer steals) | ||
| 19:33 |  | Labaron Philon blocks L.J. Cryer's two point jump shot | ||
| 19:31 | | J'Wan Roberts offensive rebound | ||
| 19:19 | | +2 | Milos Uzan makes two point jump shot | 2-0 |
| 19:10 | | +3 | Latrell Wrightsell Jr. makes three point jump shot (Mark Sears assists) | 2-3 |
| 18:53 | | Emanuel Sharp misses two point jump shot | ||
| 18:51 | | Labaron Philon defensive rebound | ||
| 18:41 | | Mark Sears turnover (bad pass) (L.J. Cryer steals) | ||
| 18:31 | | Ja'Vier Francis turnover (traveling) | ||
| 18:11 | | Milos Uzan personal foul | ||
| 18:09 | | Grant Nelson turnover (bad pass) (Ja'Vier Francis steals) | ||
| 17:57 | | Milos Uzan misses two point jump shot | ||
| 17:54 | | Cougars offensive rebound | ||
| 17:42 | | +2 | J'Wan Roberts makes two point jump shot (Milos Uzan assists) | 4-3 |
| 17:25 | | Derrion Reid turnover (bad pass) (Joseph Tugler steals) | ||
| 17:18 | | Mark Sears shooting foul (Emanuel Sharp draws the foul) | ||
| 17:18 | | Emanuel Sharp misses regular free throw 1 of 2 | ||
| 17:18 | | +1 | Emanuel Sharp makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 5-3 |
| 17:00 | | Derrion Reid misses three point jump shot | ||
| 16:58 | | Emanuel Sharp defensive rebound | ||
| 16:37 | | Joseph Tugler misses three point jump shot | ||
| 16:35 | | Grant Nelson defensive rebound | ||
| 16:14 | | Grant Nelson misses three point jump shot | ||
| 16:12 | | Cougars defensive rebound | ||
| 16:02 | | +3 | Emanuel Sharp makes three point jump shot (Joseph Tugler assists) | 8-3 |
| 15:43 | | Mouhamed Dioubate misses three point jump shot | ||
| 15:41 | | Crimson Tide offensive rebound | ||
| 15:41 | | Joseph Tugler personal foul | ||
| 15:41 | | TV timeout | ||
| 15:41 | | Joseph Tugler blocks Mouhamed Dioubate's two point dunk | ||
| 15:39 | | Mouhamed Dioubate offensive rebound | ||
| 15:35 | | +2 | Mouhamed Dioubate makes two point layup | 8-5 |
| 15:23 | | Labaron Philon personal foul | ||
| 15:04 | | Joseph Tugler turnover (lost ball) (Mouhamed Dioubate steals) | ||
| 14:59 | | Joseph Tugler blocks Aiden Sherrell's two point layup | ||
| 14:58 | | Crimson Tide offensive rebound | ||
| 14:54 | | Labaron Philon misses two point layup | ||
| 14:52 | | Mouhamed Dioubate offensive rebound | ||
| 14:50 | | Mouhamed Dioubate misses two point layup | ||
| 14:50 | | Cougars defensive rebound | ||
| 14:50 | | Jarin Stevenson personal foul | ||
| 14:36 | | J'Wan Roberts misses two point layup | ||
| 14:34 | | Aden Holloway defensive rebound | ||
| 14:21 | | Aiden Sherrell turnover (offensive foul) | ||
| 14:21 | | Aiden Sherrell offensive foul | ||
| 14:01 | | Emanuel Sharp misses two point jump shot | ||
| 13:59 | | Crimson Tide defensive rebound | ||
| 13:41 | | Mark Sears misses two point layup | ||
| 13:39 | | Clifford Omoruyi offensive rebound | ||
| 13:39 | | Milos Uzan shooting foul (Clifford Omoruyi draws the foul) | ||
| 13:39 | | Clifford Omoruyi misses regular free throw 1 of 2 | ||
| 13:39 | | Clifford Omoruyi misses regular free throw 2 of 2 | ||
| 13:39 | | Terrance Arceneaux defensive rebound | ||
| 13:22 | | L.J. Cryer misses two point jump shot | ||
| 13:20 | | Aden Holloway defensive rebound | ||
| 13:08 | | Mark Sears misses three point jump shot | ||
| 13:06 | | Clifford Omoruyi offensive rebound | ||
| 13:02 | | +2 | Clifford Omoruyi makes two point layup | 8-7 |
| 12:37 | | +2 | Terrance Arceneaux makes two point jump shot | 10-7 |
| 12:27 | | Mercy Miller personal foul (Mark Sears draws the foul) | ||
| 12:17 | | +2 | Aden Holloway makes two point layup | 10-9 |
| 11:58 | | Grant Nelson shooting foul (J'Wan Roberts draws the foul) | ||
| 11:58 | | TV timeout | ||
| 11:58 | | J'Wan Roberts misses regular free throw 1 of 2 | ||
| 11:58 | | +1 | J'Wan Roberts makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 11-9 |
| 11:28 | | +3 | Aden Holloway makes three point jump shot (Mark Sears assists) | 11-12 |
| 11:12 | | +2 | J'Wan Roberts makes two point hook shot | 13-12 |
| 10:58 | | Aden Holloway turnover (bad pass) (Terrance Arceneaux steals) | ||
| 10:51 | | Aden Holloway personal foul (Terrance Arceneaux draws the foul) | ||
| 10:43 | | +2 | L.J. Cryer makes two point jump shot | 15-12 |
| 10:12 | | Labaron Philon misses three point jump shot | ||
| 10:10 | | Emanuel Sharp defensive rebound | ||
| 10:00 | | +2 | Emanuel Sharp makes two point jump shot | 17-12 |
| 9:49 | | Labaron Philon turnover (bad pass) (Terrance Arceneaux steals) | ||
| 9:42 | | Jump ball. Emanuel Sharp vs. Latrell Wrightsell Jr. (Cougars gains possession) | ||
| 9:35 | | Ja'Vier Francis misses two point jump shot | ||
| 9:33 | | Terrance Arceneaux offensive rebound | ||
| 9:32 | | Emanuel Sharp misses three point jump shot | ||
| 9:30 | | Joseph Tugler offensive rebound | ||
| 9:25 | | Emanuel Sharp misses three point jump shot | ||
| 9:23 | | Ja'Vier Francis offensive rebound | ||
| 9:23 | | Latrell Wrightsell Jr. personal foul (Ja'Vier Francis draws the foul) | ||
| 9:23 | | +1 | Ja'Vier Francis makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 18-12 |
| 9:23 | | +1 | Ja'Vier Francis makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 19-12 |
| 9:04 | | J'Wan Roberts personal foul (Mark Sears draws the foul) | ||
| 8:59 | | +3 | Grant Nelson makes three point jump shot (Derrion Reid assists) | 19-15 |
| 8:41 | | +2 | L.J. Cryer makes two point jump shot | 21-15 |
| 8:27 | | Joseph Tugler blocks Mouhamed Dioubate's two point layup | ||
| 8:25 | | Grant Nelson offensive rebound | ||
| 8:20 | | +2 | Grant Nelson makes two point layup | 21-17 |
| 8:07 | | L.J. Cryer turnover (back court violation) | ||
| 8:03 | | Joseph Tugler blocks Mark Sears's two point layup | ||
| 8:01 | | Grant Nelson offensive rebound | ||
| 7:59 | | +2 | Grant Nelson makes two point layup | 21-19 |
| 7:34 | | Emanuel Sharp misses three point jump shot | ||
| 7:32 | | Mouhamed Dioubate defensive rebound | ||
| 7:24 | | Joseph Tugler blocks Aden Holloway's three point jump shot | ||
| 7:22 | | Aden Holloway offensive rebound | ||
| 7:14 | | +2 | Aden Holloway makes two point layup | 21-21 |
| 7:01 | | L.J. Cryer misses three point jump shot | ||
| 6:59 | | Grant Nelson defensive rebound | ||
| 6:51 | | Emanuel Sharp personal foul (Mark Sears draws the foul) | ||
| 6:51 | | TV timeout | ||
| 6:37 | | Grant Nelson misses three point jump shot | ||
| 6:35 | | Emanuel Sharp defensive rebound | ||
| 6:16 | | L.J. Cryer misses two point jump shot | ||