LOS ANGELES — The curse is lifted. A long time of frustration have been crushed in a single night time. For the primary time in program historical past, Alabama basketball goes to the Closing 4.
No. 4 Alabama beat No. 6 Clemson 89-82 Saturday night time in Los Angeles to win the West Regional and advance to the Closing 4. Nate Oats has led the Crimson Tide to a brand new stage in his fifth yr as head coach.
“I imply, it is surreal,” Oats stated. “You return 11 years in the past, and I received a state championship at Romulus again within the Detroit space. It hasn’t been that lengthy.”
Mark Sears, Alabama’s scoring chief all season, struggled from the ground within the first half, however couldn’t be contained by the Tigers within the second half. He as soon as once more led the Crimson Tide in scoring with 23 factors and was 6-for-7 from past the arc within the second half.
“Simply feeling a whole lot of feelings,” Sears stated after the sport. “Being from Alabama, the state of Alabama, and to do it with this group of fellows, it is superb.”
Even whereas battling via a heel harm, Nick Pringle was one other hero with 16 factors and 11 rebounds for his third double-double of the season. Greater than half of his rebounds got here on the offensive glass, and it appeared like he was in a position to counter any Clemson momentum by grabbing an offense board and ending on the rim.
Every spherical of the NCAA Event, Alabama has had a unique participant step up. Saturday night time in opposition to the Tigers, it was Jarin Stevenson. Within the first assembly with Clemson again in December, Stevenson had zero factors and performed simply eight minutes. Within the Elite Eight matchup, Stevenson had 19 factors on 5 of 8 taking pictures from past the arc.
The Tigers briefly held a one-point lead a couple of minutes into the second half, however from that time on, it was all Crimson Tide. Each time Clemson tried to get again into it with a 3-pointer or and-1, Alabama had a solution of its personal.
Clemson was beginning to construct a snug lead, up 26-13 with lower than eight minutes to go within the first half. However because the group has proven time and time once more this season, no lead is protected in opposition to the Crimson Tide. Alabama closed the half on a 22-6 run to carry a three-point lead at halftime, 35-33.
The Crimson Tide will tackle top-seeded and reigning nationwide champion UConn subsequent Saturday, April 3.