The top-ranked Houston Cougars survived a final sequence to edge No. 22 Auburn 73-72 on Sunday in a tense neutral-site matchup of last season’s Final Four teams.
Freshman point guard Kingston Flemings scored 22 points, along with a pivotal late block. Chris Cenac Jr. Added 18 points and nine rebounds for the Cougars (4-0).
Houston led for most of the second half, twice stretching the margin to eight, but Auburn (3-1) surged back behind a roaring home-state crowd.
The Tigers had two chances to win in the final seconds. Tahaad Pettiford drove twice, only to be denied by Houston’s defense, with Flemings swatting the second attempt. On the ensuing out-of-bounds play with one second left, Auburn’s lob was knocked away at the rim.
Keyshawn Hall posted 20 points and 11 rebounds before exiting with a right foot injury late. Pettiford scored 15 points, and Kevin Overton added 13.
Houston’s Emanuel Sharp scored 13 and Milos Uzan chipped in 11 as the Cougars held Auburn to 39% shooting.
This was the first loss for Steve Pearl, who took over at Auburn for his father, Bruce, who retired. The longtime coach was on hand to watch his son.
As for Houston, Kelvin Sampson picked up career win No. 802 on Sunday. Three victories shy of moving to 29th overall on the all-time list.
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