© Jamie Rhodes-USA TODAY Sports
No. 1 Alabama Basketball Falls to No. 5 SDSU, Eliminated from NCAA Tournament
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The historic season for Alabama basketball came to an end on Friday night at the KFC Yum! Center as the 1-seed Crimson Tide fell at the hands of the 5-seed San Diego State Aztecs, 71-64.
The loss eliminates Alabama from the NCAA Tournament while the victory for the Aztecs advances them to the Elite Eight.
"I'll share what I just got done telling the players in the locker room," Crimson Tide coach Nate Oats said after the game. "I mean, we had an unbelievable year. Everybody is really disappointed in the loss. It ended too soon. San Diego State is a very good team.
"When you get to the Sweet 16, you know, all the teams are good at this point. You know, they're tough, physical, veteran group. It's a huge accomplishment to get to the Sweet 16."
Right out of the gate to start the game, freshman forward Noah Clowney picked up a gritty layup on Alabama's first possession and was fouled on the attempt. After the and-1 was made, the Crimson Tide led the Aztecs to start the game.
Alabama wouldn't hold onto the lead for long.
Six points from SDSU highlighted by a dunk by Keshad Johnson propelled the Aztecs out in front, forcing Alabama to play a game of catch-up for the entirety of the first half. While there were a total of seven lead changes, SDSU seemed to have an answer for everything Alabama threw its way.
Gritty defense and solid rebounding by the Aztecs provided the Crimson Tide with a plethora of troubles. At the perimeter, Alabama was held to just 1-of-11 from 3-point territory — an abysmal 9 percent. From the floor, the Crimson Tide shot 8-of-29, 28 percent.
In terms of rebounding, SDSU out-rebounded 25-22, including 10 offensive boards.
With the Aztecs scoring 12 of the first half's final 16 points, SDSU led at the break 28-23.
"I think we came in this game prepared as much as we can possibly," Crimson Tide freshman forward Brandon Miller said. "I think our shot-making could have been better. Our shot choices could have been better. But, I mean, San Diego is a good group of guys. They're vets, so they have a lot of experience. I feel like they came out and played hard. That's what it is."
Right out of the break, Miller sank his first 3-pointer of the game, sparking an 11-2 run to begin the first half for the Crimson Tide and give it a 34-30 lead. Alabama maintained and extended its lead all the way to the 11:40 mark when Nick Pringle slammed home a dunk, sending the crowd into a frenzy and giving the Crimson Tide a 48-39 lead.
It would be the last time that Alabama fans had something to cheer about inside the KFC Yum! Center as SDSU began a 12-0 run powered by 8 points by Aztecs guard Darrion Trammell. At the under-4 media timeout, the SDSU lead had grown to 62-53.
As the clock ticked down in the final minutes, more and more Alabama fans sat down in their seats as the San Diego State faithful began to rise out of theirs. As the final buzzer sounded on the Crimson Tide's historic season, the final scoreboard read 71-64 in favor of the Aztecs.
As a team, Alabama shot 32 percent from the floor and was an abysmal 3-for-27 — 11 percent — from beyond the arc. Miller experienced an off night, making just 1-of-10 3-point shots and was 3-of-19 overall from the floor.
Offensively for the Crimson Tide, Mark Sears finished the night with a team-leading 16 points as well as 10 rebounds for a double-double. Jahvon Quinerly and Charles Bediako were the only two other players to reach double-digit points, with both scoring 10 apiece.
While the win for SDSU sends it to the Elite Eight, Alabama's season comes to a close. The Crimson Tide finish with a 31-6 final record and reached its second Sweet 16 in three years. SEC regular-season and tournament titles might help ease the sting for Alabama fans, but regardless: what could possibly be the best team in Crimson Tide hoops history finished its journey on Friday night at the KFC Yum! Center.
"I'll say it's one of the most memorable seasons ever," Oats said. "It's not easy to win the regular season, the SEC tournament in the same year and make a Sweet 16 run. It's a great group that really loves each other. I mean, they're going to be close for life, most of them.
"You know, I love the group, they love each other, and it's just really disappointing that it's ending early. But I think it's one of the most memorable seasons in Alabama history, and they can walk out of here with their heads up."
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See Also:
David vs Goliath: Alabama Basketball in Unique Position Heading into Sweet 16
