The No. 1 team in the nation fell Saturday when No. 8 Alabama earned a 71–65 road victory over top-ranked Houston.
Boasting a 9–0 record entering the game, the Cougars led by as many as 15 points early in the second half but were outscored 40-21 in the final 16 minutes of play. Houston’s loss came nearly two weeks after Alabama (8-1) knocked off then-No. 1 North Carolina in quadruple overtime, 103–101, at the Phil Knight Invitational tournament in Portland on Nov. 27.
After Saturday’s game, Houston coach Kelvin Sampson reflected on his team’s first loss, and lamented missed opportunities that could’ve altered the outcome. He also credited the Crimson Tide for beating the Cougars at UH’s Fertitta Center.
“That’s the No. 8 team in the nation, so no shame in losing to a really, really good Alabama team,” Sampson told reporters. “But disappointed, obviously. We haven’t lost a lot in this building. Give Alabama credit. They did a great job in that second half. We could have played better, but we’ve got to stay with it, long season. We’ve played 10 games. Last time I checked, we’ve got 22 more, so we’ll keep working at it.”
Sampson was asked if he felt the loss could be something his team could build upon, prompting him to reiterate how tough it is to lose at home in front of their fans.
“Winning on the road is special. That’s a great win for Alabama, really is, great win and good for them,” Sampson said. “Losing at home, though, is tough, especially when you’ve had a lot of the success we’ve had over a long period of time.”
As Sampson alluded to, the Cougars have dominated their opponents at home, and came into Saturday’s game with a 6-0 home record this season. Houston has posted a combined 45-3 home record over the past three seasons.
The Cougars finished the contest without junior guard Tramon Mark after he fouled out with 8:10 to play in the game. Mark scored 10 points on 4-of-9 shooting, while the Tide were led in scoring by junior guard Jamal Shead with 19 points.
Alabama freshman forward Noah Clowney added 16 points, while junior guard Mark Sears chipped in 11 points. Despite going 0-for-8 from the field, freshman forward Brandon Miller scored eight points by going 8-of-9 on free throws.
Both teams will have only a couple days to rest before taking the floor again on Tuesday. Houston will host North Carolina A&T, and Alabama hosts Memphis.
