Befitting a matchup of Top 10 teams, the No. 6 Houston Cougars and the No. 9 Alabama Crimson Tide went right down to the wire in the first round of the Players Era Festival on Tuesday in Las Vegas.
In fact, the game went to overtime before the Crimson Tide beat the Cougars, 85-80.
In overtime, Alabama (5-1) outscored the Cougars (3-2) just 7-2. But, Houston missed its final seven shots down the stretch and didn’t score in the final 3:17 of the extra time.
Along the way, Houston lost both guard Milos Uzan and guard Emanuel Sharp to fouls. Uzan played just 12 minutes and scored five points, while Sharp poured in 14 points.
Cougars guard L.J. Cryer led all scorers with 30 points, including a pair of 3-pointers and a perfect 10-for-10 from the free-throw line. Forward J’Wan Roberts added 11 points. Houston shot 37% from the floor, but was outrebounded, 48-39.
Alabama’s Mark Sears led five Crimson Tide players in double figures with 24 points, including four 3-pointers. Alabama also shot 37% from the game and lost the turnover battle, 15-12.
Houston led at halftime, 36-34, but the Cougars fell behind by as many as eight points in the second half, 62-54, with 8:53 left.
The Cougars chipped away and regained the lead before Alabama’s Latrell Wrightsell Jr. made two free throws with 27 seconds left to tie the game. Cryer missed a jumper with two seconds left that would have given Houston the victory.
The Players Era Festival is a first-of-its-kind tournament that is providing Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) money and opportunities to players during the event.
Per the event’s website, Players Era is committed to offering $9 million in NIL money to college basketball players in 2024 and $50 million over the next three years to players that will perform services and activities fully compliant with current NCAA regulations.
Both Baylor and Iowa State are committed to playing in next year’s event.
You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard.
