LOS ANGELES – The Alabama men's basketball team advanced to the program's second-ever NCAA Tournament Elite 8 thanks to an 89-87 upset victory over No. 1 s...
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The Crimson Tide will play in the program’s second-ever Elite 8 Saturday night vs. No. 6 seed Clemson
LOS ANGELES – The Alabama men's basketball team advanced to the program's second-ever NCAA Tournament Elite 8 thanks to an 89-87 upset victory over No. 1 seed North Carolina Thursday night inside Crypto.com Arena. With the victory, the Crimson Tide will face No. 6 seed Clemson Saturday with the winner advancing to the 2024 Men's Basketball Final Four.
Grant Nelson played arguably his best game in an Alabama uniform, as he finished with 24 points, 19 of which came in the second half, to go with 12 rebounds and five blocks in the contest.
Rylan Griffen and
Aaron Estrada each added 19 while
Mark Sears added 18 points in the win.
With the victory, the 2023-24 Crimson Tide (24-11) joins the 2003-04 squad as the only two teams in men's basketball program history to reach the Elite 8.
North Carolina (29-8) was led by Armando Bacot's 19 points and 12 rebounds to top four players in double figures.
Head Coach Nate Oats Postgame Comments
"Our guys showed some character. They've been showing some character these last three games. We've been questioned all year on defense, probably rightfully so, but our defense showed up particularly in the second half. You've got to give North Carolina credit. They're a very good team. They've played well all year.
"Sometimes stuff doesn't go your way. They didn't hit that many threes, but we stuck with our game plan. Our word has been "next," this whole tournament - next play, next shot. We stuck with that. We made adjustments, and these guys just kept making plays.
"We've got a short-lived celebration. I told them they can celebrate about 30 minutes. As soon as the media is out of the locker room, we've got to get moving on to Clemson."