BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The No. 22 Auburn Tigers game the No. 1 Houston Cougars a fight until the very end, but ultimately fell short.

When the final buzzer sounded inside Birmingham’s Legacy Arena on Sunday afternoon, Houston (4-0) had picked up a 73-72 victory over Auburn (3-1).

Momentum swung back and forth throughout the first half as neither team managed to maintain control for more than a few possessions at a time. 

The Cougars did go into the locker room with a 39-35 advantage.

Houston went on multiple runs throughout the second half, and while Auburn did manage to pull within a few points on multiple occasions, it was never enough to claim control of the game.

Free-throw shooting was a consistent issue for Auburn throughout the afternoon, as it only converted 21 of its 33 attempts, coming out to a 64% success rate.

Houston, on the other hand, took advantage of its chances at the line. The Cougars went 10-of-12, 83%, at the line, making a noticeable difference in the outcome of the contest.

Keyshawn Hall, who exited the game due to an ankle injury in the second half, led the Tigers in scoring with 20 points. He also led the team in rebounds with 11, more than doubling the total of anyone else.

Tahaad Pettiford and Kevin Overton joined Hall in double-figures, finishing the game with 15 and 13 points, respectively.

Auburn shot 22-of-57, 39%, from the field and 7-of-22, 32%, from beyond the arc.

Kingston Flemings led Houston in scoring with 22 points and in assists with seven. Chris Cenac Jr. led the team in rebounds with nine.

The Cougars shot 28-of-65, 43% from the field and 7-of-24, 29%, from 3-point range.

The Tigers return to action on Wednesday night when they host Jackson State at Neville Arena. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. CT and SEC Network will carry the broadcast.