#6/7 Men's Basketball Drops OT Battle to #9/9 Alabama

LAS VEGAS (AP) – Graduate guard LJ Cryer scored 30 points as the #6/7 University of Houston Men's Basketball program dropped an overtime battle, 85-80, to #9/9 Alabama in its opening game of the Players Era Festival on Tuesday evening inside MGM Grand Garden Arena.

Cryer, who led all scorers with a career-high matching 30 points, including a career best 10-for-10 from the charity stripe, had a chance to win the game for the Cougars (3-2) but missed a mid-range baseline jumper with two seconds remaining.

Mark Sears posted a team-leading 24 points, Grant Nelson had 13 points and 10 rebounds, and Mouhamed Dioubate had 10 points and 16 rebounds for Alabama (5-1).

Junior guard Emanuel Sharp finished with 14 points and graduate forward J'Wan Roberts added 11, while sophomore forward Joseph Tugler recorded a career-high eight blocks 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 the nation's second-highest 3-point shooting percentage of 73.3% (11 of 15). The junior wasn't as sharp against the Tide, finishing the game hitting 2 of 6 from long range.

With 24 seconds left in overtime and the Tide leading 84-80, Houston's 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 junior guard Milos Uzan fouled out of the game for the Cougars.

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UP NEXT
• Houston continues its Players Era Festival stay against Notre Dame (11:30 p.m. CST, Wednesday) and a to-be-determined opponent on Nov. 30.
• The Cougars return to Fertitta Center to play host to Butler in the Big East-Big 12 Battle inside Fertitta Center on Dec. 7.
• That game will air on ESPN2.
• All Houston Men's Basketball games can be heard on 950 AM KPRC and the Varsity Network app.

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