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.