No. 8 Alabama rallied from a 15-point second half deficit to stun No. 1 Houston 71-65 on Saturday, changing into simply the second crew to beat two top-ranked groups in the identical season.
Noah Clowney had 16 factors and 11 rebounds, Jaden Bradley added 12 factors and Mark Sears scored 11 factors, together with 9 within the second half for the Crimson Tide (8-1). Alabama shot 50 p.c from the sector within the second half and 41 p.c for the sport. The Tide went 20 of 32 on free throws, together with 15 of 21 within the second half.
The Crimson Tide beat North Carolina 103-101 in 4 overtimes on November 27 and joins the 1990 Oklahoma crew to take down two No. 1s in a season.
Alabama Crimson Tide guard Jaden Quinerly (34) reacts with teammates after the top of the sport towards the Houston Cougars at Fertitta Heart.
‘Large program win,’ Alabama head coach Nate Oats stated. ‘Undecided what number of groups get the prospect to play two No. 1 groups in nonconference, not to mention beat them, however I believe that exhibits the place we have gotten this program to that we are able to play with anybody within the nation at this level.’
Jamal Shead had 19 factors and 6 rebounds, and Tramon Mark scored 10 factors earlier than fouling out with 8:10 remaining for Houston (9-1).
‘That is the No. 8 crew within the nation,’ Houston coach Kelvin Sampson stated. ‘No disgrace shedding to a very, actually good Alabama crew. Disappointing clearly. We’ve not misplaced quite a bit on this constructing.’
The Cougars shot 39 p.c rom the sector, together with going 1-of-8 to finish the sport. Houston was 3 of 13 on 3-pointers and 12 of twenty-two from the free-throw line.
‘We simply could not guard,’ Shead stated. ‘We did not stand in entrance of the ball for like 4 or 5 straight possessions and that is how they received again into it. And we simply weren’t robust sufficient to complete it out.’
Alabama head coach Nate Oats (pictured) stated: ‘Undecided what number of groups get the prospect to play two No. 1 groups in nonconference, not to mention beat them, however I believe that exhibits the place we have gotten this program to that we are able to play with anybody within the nation at this level’
The sport was tied at 63 following a Marcus Sasser free throw with two minutes left. Then Clowney put the Tide up by two with a layup with 1:12 remaining, Shead missed a jumper with 48 seconds left and Brandon Miller made two free throws 5 seconds later to push the result in 4.
After Reggie Chaney missed two free throws, Miller made two extra free throws to provide Alabama a 69-63 lead with 27 seconds remaining.
Trailing 57-49 with 8½ remaining, the Tide went on an 11-3 run to chop the result in 61-60 on a layup by Clowney with 5 minutes to go.
Houston used an 18-2 run to finish the primary half and begin the second half to take a 44-29 lead with 17:13 remaining on a steal and layup by Jarace Walker, however Alabama responded with a 15-5 spurt to chop the led to 5 on a 3-pointer by Sears with 11 minutes left.
Marcus Sasser #0 of the Houston Cougars drives on Mark Sears #1 of the Alabama Crimson Tide in the course of the second half at Fertitta Heart on December 10, 2022 in Houston
