TAMPA − Alabama basketball roared through Texas Tech with ease on Sunday, March 22, winning 90-65 to advance to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament. The Crimson Tide was hot from 3-point range and played some of its best defense of the season against the Red Raiders.
Alabama will face No. 1-seeded Michigan in Chicago with a chance to reach the Elite Eight.
Here are some instant thoughts from the UA victory:
Alabama basketball talking points
1 ) Defense, anyone? For the second consecutive tournament game, Alabama’s defense played with hustle and a physical edge that served it well. Texas Tech had just 12 points with 7:55 left in the first half, struggled to get second shots, and lost out on too many loose balls. From the 3-point line, Texas Tech shot just 34.4%. It’s been a different-looking UA team defensively in Tampa, and coach Nate Oats will be hoping the same defense travels to Chicago.
2 ) The threes were coming from everywhere in the UA lineup. With its most accurate 3-point shooter, Aden Holloway, suspended after a felony arrest, the Crimson Tide got deep makes from seven different players in the first half. Nobody was hotter than Latrell Wrightsell, Jr., and Houston Mallette, who combined for 11 treys. It was an effectiveness-by-committee that was much needed in the wake of Holloway’s suspension from school.
3 ) The rebounding problems that haunted Alabama for much of the season didn’t manifest against the Red Raiders. Call it the March Madness Miracle. UA grabbed 47 rebounds to Texas Tech’s 35. Midway through the first half, Alabama led 20-9. Texas Tech, not known for its rebounding prowess, couldn’t take advantage of Alabama’s biggest weakness.
Turning point
Give it to Noah Williamson, whose 3-pointer from the corner made the score 40-21 with under four minutes left in the first half. Sure, there was a lot of ball left to be played at that point, but there wasn’t a more clear sign that the Red Raiders were in big trouble.
By the numbers
12 – Labaron Philon handed out a dozen assists on a night when his shot was off for Alabama.
What I liked
For weeks, Oats has been saying Taylor Bol Bowen is back on top of his game after recovering from a leg injury, but that hasn’t often shown up on the floor. It did Sunday. The transfer from Florida State only scored five points, but impacted the game in other ways with high energy. Bol Bowen had five rebounds, two steals and two blocks.
What I didn’t like
What’s not to like? The Crimson Tide was too good against a quality opponent to pick nits. There wasn’t even a second-half lull, which one might expect with a 24-point halftime lead. UA dominated throughout, and against a No. 5 seed, it was too impressive to find fault.
Tuscaloosa News columnist Chase Goodbread is also the weekly co-host of Crimson Cover TV on WVUA-23. Reach him at cgoodbread@gannett.com. Follow on X.com @chasegoodbread.
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