LOS ANGELES — In a game of runs, where momentum swung back and forth late in the second half, Alabama held off a tough North Carolina squad, 89-87, in their Sweet 16 battle on Thursday at the Crypto.com Arena.
The mild upset over the No.1 seed Tar Heels sends No.4 seed CrimsonTide to the Elite Eight for only the second time in school history.
Grant Nelson led Alabama’s balanced attack with 24 points and 12 rebounds. Rylan Griffen and Aaron Estrade each had 19 while Mark Sears added 18 as Alabama withstood North Carolina’s late charge.
The Crimson Tide swished 47.8 percent from the field (32-of-67) and a high 42.3 percent from three (11-of-26).
“These guys are bringing their competitive side out at the right time,” Tide coach Nate Oats said. “You want to be peaking in March and we’re peaking in March.”
Trailing 82-77 with 3:15 left to play, North Carolina went on an 8-0 run to grab the lead at 85-82. But the Tide responded with a 7-2 kick to close the deal.
“We’ve been working for this all season but this isn’t our end goal,” said Nelson, a 6-foot-11 senior.
“I was very proud of him. To see him carry us, it was very amazing,” Sears said of his star teammate who played his first three years at North Dakota State.
Armando Bacot led North Carolina with 19 points and 12 rebounds. Point guard RJ Davis finished with 16 and 7 assists but he struggled with his shooting, hitting only 4-of-20 from the field. Cormac Ryan pitched in 17.
“I’m definitely hurt. I think we all are a little shocked,” Bacot said. “Felt like we hand a chance to win the national championship this year.”
“I just wasn’t good enough, missed a lot of easy shots that I normally make,” added Davis as North Carolina misses a chance at redemption following a runner-up finish in 2022.
UNC coach Hubert Davis echoed his team’s frustration.
“We had good looks that we can make that we just missed. Sometimes your shots just don’t go in and stinks when it doesn’t. Just came at a really wrong time,” he said.
Trailing 54-46 at halftime, Alabama got out of the gates blazing in the second half to re-take the lead at 59-57. It was a nip and tuck affair from there.
