Brandon Miller, No. 8 Alabama Upset No. 1 Houston to Hand Cougars 1st Loss of Season

The No. 8 Alabama men's basketball team beat previously undefeated No. 1 Houston 71-65 on Saturday afternoon from Fertitta Center.

Freshman forward Noah Clowney led the Crimson Tide with 16 points on 7-of-12 shooting, 11 rebounds and two blocks to take down the host Cougars, who fell to 9-1.

First-year guard Jaden Bradley added 12 points, five rebounds and four assists off the bench. Freshman forward Brandon Miller missed all eight of his field goals but hit eight of nine free throws alongside five rebounds and two steals.

Houston led 44-29 early in the second half, but Alabama outscored the Cougars 42-21 for the remainder of the game.

The Crimson Tide slowly chopped away at the Cougar advantage before a Mark Sears three-pointer gave Alabama a 63-62 lead with 3:05 remaining.

Miller hit six free throws in the final minute to keep Houston at bay and lead Alabama to an 8-1 mark.

Junior guard Jamal Shead's 19 points led Houston and all scorers. Tramon Mark added 10 points for the Cougars.

This was a rough offensive outing for the Cougars, though. Houston shot 39.1 percent from the field and hit just three of 13 three-pointers. The Cougars also made just 12 of 22 free throws.

Alabama didn't shoot particularly well either (40.7 percent from the field, 30.4 percent from three). But the Crimson Tide frequently went to the line, making 20 of 32 shots from the charity stripe.

Both teams will play at home Tuesday. The Crimson Tide will host Memphis, and Houston will welcome North Carolina A&T.