Men’s Hoops Travels to Meet #9/9 Alabama on Saturday

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Winners of eight of its first nine games – including each of its last four – the University of Houston Men's Basketball program travels to it first true road game of the season when it meets No. 9/9 Alabama at 9 p.m., Saturday, inside Coleman Coliseum.

The Cougars enter Saturday's game following a 77-45 win over Alcorn State inside the Fertitta Center earlier this week. It was the team's fourth straight win by 29+ points.

Against the Braves, sophomore guard Tramon Mark posted a game-high 18 points on 5-of-9 shooting from the field and 7-of-7 shooting from the free throw line. Junior guard Marcus Sasser posted 17 points, thanks to a game-high five 3-pointers, and stands fifth in the American Athletic Conference with 17.7 points per game.

Graduate center Josh Carlton added 12 points with four rebounds, while senior guard Kyler Edwards totaled 12 points with a team-high seven rebounds. Edwards stands as one of only three players to rank among The American's Top-15 leaders in both scoring AND rebounding.

Sophomore point guard Jamal Shead led all players with 10 assists for his first double-digit performance of the season and leads the Cougar and ranks second in The American with a 3.9-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio.

Alabama will be the third ranked team the Cougars have faced in their non-conference schedule. Houston has posted a 2-0 mark against ranked opponents this season with a 67-47 win over rv/No. 25 Virginia on Nov. 16 and a 78-49 win over rv/No. 23 Oregon at the Maui Jim Maui Invitational on Nov. 24.

TUNE IN
• Fans can watch Saturday's game on ESPN2 with Karl Ravech and Jimmy Dykes calling the action.
• Fans can hear Saturday's game on 950 AM KPRC or on The Varsity Network with Jeremy Branham and Hall of Famer Elvin Hayes calling the action.

ABOUT ALABAMA
• Alabama enters Saturday's game with a 7-1 overall record.
• Crimson Tide are 4-0 in home games inside Coleman Coliseum this season.
• Alabama is ranked at No. 9 in both the Associated Press and Ferris Mowers Coaches polls, as of Dec. 6.
• Crimson Tide has won its last three games.
• In its most recent action, Alabama claimed a 91-82 win over No. 3/3 Gonzaga in the Battle in Seattle on Saturday night.
• Against Gonzaga, junior guard Jaden Shackelford led all players with 28 points on 10-of-16 shooting from the field, including 6-of-8 from the 3-point line, and grabbed a team-high nine rebounds... Freshman guard JD Davison came off the bench to pour in 20 points with four 3-pointers, while junior guard Jahvon Quinerly totaled 17 points with a game-high six assists in the win.
• This season, Shackelford leads Alabama with 19.3 points per game and is a close second on the team with 6.8 rebounds per game.
• Quinerly is second among the Crimson Tide with 14.9 points and 3.9 assists per game, while Keon Ellis stands third with 12.1 points per game but leads the team with 6.9 rebounds per contest. Davison paces the team with 4.6 assists per game.
• Head Coach Nate Oats is in his third season at Alabama and his seventh season as a collegiate head coach.
• Oats has compiled a 49-23 record at Alabama during his career... Previously built a 96-43 record at Buffalo (2015-19).
• Saturday's game will be the first time Oats has faced Houston or Houston Head Coach Kelvin Sampson during their careers.
• 1998 graduate of Marantha Baptist.

SERIES HISTORY vs. ALABAMA
• Houston owns a 3-1 lead over Alabama in the series, which began during the 1956-57 season.
• Series began with a 76-68 Houston win at the Sugar Bowl Classic in New Orleans on Dec. 28, 1956.
• Houston has won the last two meetings.
• In the most recent meeting, the Cougars enjoyed an 83-75 win at the Sun Carnival Tournament in El Paso Texas, on Dec. 29, 1979.
• The two teams also met in the NIT (Houston win, 82-76, Madison Square Garden, New York, March 17, 1977) and the Sugar Bowl Classic (Alabama win, 105-88, Sugar Bowl Classic, New Orleans).
• Saturday's game will be the first time Houston has faced Alabama in Men's Basketball at a non-neutral site. All four previous meetings have come in regular-season or postseason tournament play.
on Road: Saturday's game will be the first time the two teams will play in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

UP NEXT
• Houston returns to the friendly confines of the Fertitta Center to face Louisiana at 7 p.m., Tuesday.
• That game will air on ESPN+
• The Cougars then meet Oklahoma State at 6 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 18, inside Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, as part of the Hoop Hype XL | College Basketball Showcase.
• That game will air on ESPNU.
• The Cougars wrap up their non-conference schedule when they take on Texas State at 7 p.m., Dec. 22, inside the Fertitta Center.
• All Houston Men's Basketball games can be heard on 950 AM KPRC.

BUY 2021-22 TICKETS
To purchase single-game tickets, fans may click here anytime or call 713-GO-COOGS (462-6647) during regular business hours.

2022-23 SEASON TICKETS PRIORITY WAIT LIST
Fans who were unable to secure 2021-22 season tickets may start preparing for next season by putting down a $75 deposit and placing their names on the 2022-23 Men's Basketball Season Ticket Priority Wait List by clicking here.

JOIN the 50-50-CLUB
Fans are invited to join the 50-50 Club to support Houston Men's Basketball. 50-50 Club members help fund program necessities and enhance the experience for our student-athletes.

Fans who join the 50-50 Club will receive embroidered Jordan Brand team apparel, invitations to exclusive events, regular updates about the program and much more.

For more information or to sign up, fans may visit uhcougars.com/5050club or click here. To join the 50-50 Club, fans may call Cougar Pride at 713-743-GoUH (4687).

STAY CONNECTED
Fans can receive updates by following @UHCougarMBK on Twitter and catch up with the latest news and notes on the team by clicking LIKE on the team's Facebook page at UHCougarMBK or by visiting the team's Instagram page at UHCougarMBK.

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