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Live Blog: Alabama Basketball vs. BYU in Sweet 16

Score updates and analysis from the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey as the Crimson Tide and Cougars meet in the NCAA Tournament with a spot in the Elite Eight on the line.
Katie Windham|
Prudential Center before Sweet 16
Prudential Center before Sweet 16 | BamaCentral

In this story:

Alabama Crimson Tide

NEWARK, N.J. –– BamaCentral is in the Prudential Center for No. 2 Alabama's NCAA Tournament matchup in the Sweet 16 against No. 6 BYU.

Tipoff is scheduled for 6:09 p.m. CT on CBS. Alabama Crimson Tide on SI will provide updates throughout.

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Live Blog

(latest updates at the top)

Second Half

Final - Alabama 113, BYU 88.

1:05- Walk-on Max Scharnowski will check in with Alabama leading 110-86

3:24- Alabama 103, BYU 83

New program record for made 3s in a game. With the latest from Youngblood, Alabama has 24 3-pointers and leads 103-83.

Mark Sears now has 10 made 3-pointers!

Cosmo the Cougar and Big Al had a dance battle during the media timeout.

7:14- Alabama 97, BYU 76- Alabama has now set the NCAA record for most made 3-pointers in an NCAA Tournament game with 22. And there's still over seven minutes left. Aden Holloway and Mark Sears are on fire. Sears now has 31 points

9:28- Kevin Young calls timeout after Holloway's latest 3 puts the Tide up 86-68

Aden Holloway has made three 3-pointers this half, and the Tide now has 17 on the game.

11:58- Alabama 75, BYU 61- The Crimson Tide has had answers for every BYU run so far. Officiating has gotten much more tight in the second half.

Twice now this half BYU has hit a 3-pointer to cut it to single digits and get their crowd back into the game. Both tines, Holloway has answered with a 3 of his own for Alabama. He's up to 15 points.

13:35- Mark Sears picks up his third foul. Alabama has been called for eight fouls in the first 6.5 minutes of the second half.

13:56- Mo Dioubate picks up his third foul for the Crimson Tide.

15:59- Alabama 63, BYU 51- Another quick start to a half. Sears stays hot for Alabama and is up to 25 points. Demin will be at the FT line after the media timeout to shoot one.

16:48- Unbelievable no-look pass from Holloway to Sears leads to Sears' seventh 3-pointer, which puts the Tide up 63-47. Timeout BYU as Alabama has opened its largest lead

Another lob to Omoruyi gives Alabama its largest lead at 60-47.

Knell makes a 3 for BYU to cut it to 51-43, but he is called for a technical foul after the shot for something he said. Sears makes both free throws to push Alabama's lead back to 53-43.

Halftime notes:

  • Mark Sears leads all scorers with 17 points. Richie Saunders has 12 for BYU.
  • Sears also had five assists for the Crimson Tide.
  • Alabama made 12 3-pointers in the first half from five different players.
  • Meanwhile, the Cougars couldn't buy a 3-point shot. They went 1-for-12 from beyond the arc in the first half.
  • BYU outscored Alabama points in the paint 28 points to 8. You don't normally see Nate Oats' teams with that much disparity, but Alabama hasn't needed to go to the paint with the way it's been making 3s.
  • Alabama had 14 assists on 17 made baskets in the first half.

Former Alabama basketball players Noah Clowney, Alex Reese and Jahvon Quinerly are down by the court behind the Crimson Tide bench to support their former team.

First Half

HALFTIME: Alabama 51, BYU 40

0:17- BYU head coach Kevin Young call his use-it or lose-it timeout to set up the Cougars' final possession of the first half with Alabama leading 51-40

1:45- A dunk from Omoruyi gives Alabama its largest lead of the game at 50-38

2:11- After review, the foul is upgraded to a Flagrant 1. Youngblood will get to shoot two free throws, plus Alabama will get the ball with the Tide already leading 46-38

Refs are going to the monitor to check out a play where Youngblood got hit in the face by BYU's Keba Keita under the rim.

3:40- Alabama 44, BYU 36- Alabama has now hit 12 3-pointers and is a scoring 46 percent from deep. The Cougars are still winning the rebounding battle with a 15 to 13 edge. Alabama has not attempted a free throw in this game.

Mark Sears has now hit as many 3-pointers in this first half (five) as his last six games combined. His latest puts Alabama up 42-31

BYU's Trevin Knell is down on the court for a little bit after a collision with Chris Youngblood. He is able to walk off under his own power after being looked at by trainers.

7:37- Alabama 35, BYU 30- Sears just hit his fourth 3-pointer. He's up to 14 points. Alabama is now 9-for-18 from beyond the arc.

9:16- Alabama crowd gets the loudest its been all game after Nelson's one-handed slam puts the Tide up 32-26

Alabama hasn't been rebounding well, and Oats deploys a lineup coming out of the media timeout that is definitely focused on rebounding instead of offense: Dioubate, Nelson, Omoruyi, Philon and Reid.

SEC comissioner Greg Sankey is sitting courtside with Alabama AD Greg Byrne. The SEC has seven teams in the Sweet 16. Alabama is the only SEC team in the Newark regional.

10:43- Alabama 27, BYU 25- Cougars will be at the FT line out of the timeout to try to complete the and-1. Alabama has already made seven 3-pointers, but is struggling to get stops on defense. Eighteen of BYU's 25 points have come in the paint. Jarin Stevenson has been getting beat pretty hard defensively. Mark Sears leads all scorers with 11 points.

First foul of the game doesn't come until the 12:40 mark. Officials letting them play so far.

Mark Sears is feeling it after he hits a deep 3 to put Alabama up 21-17.

Mouhamed Dioubate, Aden Holloway, Aiden Sherrell and Jarin Stevenson check in after the first media timeout for Alabama. Mark Sears is the only starter to remain in the game.

The national college basketball analysts seated around me on press row are loving the start to the game.

15:32- BYU 13, Alabama 12- A pretty frenetic first four minutes. Mark Sears and Labaron Philon have made 3s, which is big for the Tide. Alabama has had three pretty bad turnovers early on.

17:19- Alabama scores the first four points of the game, and then BYU scores nine straight to take a 9-4 lead.

BYU wins the opening tip, and this game is underway.

Starting lineups

BYU vs. Alabama starting lineups
BYU vs. Alabama starting lineups | NCAA

Grant Nelson is back in the starting lineup for the second straight game after sitting out most of the Robert Morris game with a knee injury. Nate Oats said he expects a fully available roster (outside of the guys who are out for the season.)

Pregame

Arena at tip is probably about half full. Lots of Duke and Arizona fans to fill in later for the evening game.

Tonight's officials: Tony Padilla, Bert Smith and Jeb Hartness

Looks like Nate Oats is sporting another new coat fot his game. This one is a more neutral houndstooth after wearing green the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament.

The Million Dollar Pep band along with the Alabama cheerleaders and dance team are here in the Prudential Center.

With about 30 minutes to tip, the only concentration of Alabama fans are in the one Alabama section, It's hard to differentiate how many BYU fans are in here versus Duke because their colors are so similar. But as of right now, it definitely seems like there are more BYU fans than Alabama.

AJ Dybantsa, BYU signee and former Alabama target as the No. 1 overall player in the class of 2026, is in attendance for Thursday night's matchup between the Crimson Tide and Cougars.

Grant Nelson is now on the floor for warmups. He still has a sleeve on his left leg, but it looks like there isn't as much wrapping aroun his knee.

6:03 p.m ET- Alabama has taken the court for initial warmups. Mark Sears, Clifford Omoruyi, Mouhamed Dioubate, Aden Holloway, Labaron Philon and Aden Holloway are the first guys on the court.

Pregame message from Alabama head coach Nate Oats ⬇️

5:45 p.m. ET- BYU has taken the court for initial stretches

The stage is set for the Sweet 16. Alabama trying to make it to the Elite Eight for the second straight season and third time overall. BYU attempting to reach the Elite Eight for the first time since 1981 and fourth time overall.

Prudential Center before Sweet 16
Prudential Center before Sweet 16 | BamaCentral

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Katie Windham
KATIE WINDHAM

Katie Windham is the assistant editor for BamaCentral, primarily covering football, basketball, gymnastics and softball. She is a two-time graduate of the University of Alabama and has covered a variety of Crimson Tide athletics since 2019 for outlets like The Tuscaloosa News, The Crimson White and the Associated Press before joining BamaCentral full time in 2021. Windham has covered College Football Playoff games, the Women's College World Series, NCAA March Madness, SEC Tournaments and championships in multiple sports.

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