No. 3 Houston Cougars basketball wrap up their time at the Player’s Era tournament in Las Vegas against Notre Dame on Wednesday afternoon.
This is the third game in three days for the Cougars, who look to end their second Player’s Era tournament with a win against the Fighting Irish.
Houston enters this matchup with a 6-1 record after suffering their first loss of the season against No. 17 Tennessee on Tuesday night, 76-73. The Cougars led 39-35 at half and also took an 11-point lead, but went through a seven-minute scoring drought and could not hold on. UH had 18 fewer free throw attempts, even though the game was quite physical, noted by head coach Kelvin Sampson.
Freshman point guard Kingston Flemings showed his incredible talent in the national spotlight again, as he scored a career high 25 points on 10/15 shooting. Senior point guard Milos Uzan added 17 points and four assists. There was a lot to learn for the Cougars in that first loss, and they’ll look to bounce back on this quick turnaround.
Nov 25, 2025; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Houston Cougars center Chris Cenac Jr. (5) reacts in a 2025 Players Era Festival group play game against the Tennessee Volunteers during the first half at MGM Grand Garden Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images / Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
This matchup is a familiar one, as these two programs faced off against each other in the first-ever Player’s Era tournament last year. Houston beat Notre Dame in their most recent battle, 65-54, for their only win of the tournament in 2024.
Senior guard Emanuel Sharp put up a team high 17 points in that one, and he’ll look to have a big bounce-back game after getting two early fouls against Tennessee and missing 15 minutes of the first half.
Overall, the Cougars lead the all-time series 5-4. Notre Dame enters this game with a 5-2 record and has split their two games in the Player’s Era so far. The Irish lost their first game to Kansas 71-61, but had a good performance against Rutgers on Tuesday in a 68-63 win.
Junior guard Markus Burton put up 21 points, six rebounds, and five assists in the victory, and he leads Notre Dame this season with just over 20 points per game while shooting 51 percent from the field overall. Additionally, freshman forward Jalen Haralson scored 15 points, and he averages 13 PPG.
The Cougars are 11.5-point favorites and will look to play a good game from start to finish, something they have struggled with so far this week.
Tip-off is at 2:30 p.m. CST from MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, and be sure to check back here at game time for live updates on Houston’s second game of the Player’s Era Tournament.
Follow below for live updates as the action unfolds from Sin City.
Starting Lineup:
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