LOS ANGELES — Grant Nelson scored fourth-seeded Alabama’s final five points, including a late three-point play that put the Crimson Tide ahead for good in a 89-87 win over top-seeded North Carolina on Thursday in an NCAA Tournament West Region semifinal.
Alabama (24-11) rallied from an eight-point halftime deficit, holding North Carolina to seven points through the first 10 minutes of the second half. The Crimson Tide’s defensive effort to open the second half produced a back-and-forth final stretch in a contest that featured 13 ties and 12 lead changes.
The Crimson Tide advance to face sixth-seeded Clemson on Saturday in the regional final.
The final lead change came with 38 seconds left when Nelson, who scored a game-high 24 points, converted at the rim while being fouled by Jae’Lyn Withers. The basket, set up when Nelson rolled and Mark Sears fired off the assist, put the Crimson Tide up 86-85, and Nelson added the and-one free throw.
Nelson sank two more free throws with seven seconds left. A layup from North Carolina’s Armando Bacot sliced the margin to two with 0.9 seconds to go. Nelson then missed two foul shots, but he blocked Harrison Ingram’s desperation heave at the buzzer.
Aaron Estrada scored 19 points for Alabama on 9-of-17 shooting from the floor, and Rylan Griffen shot 5-for-8 from 3-point range en route to 19 points. Sears finished with 18 points, and Nelson added a team-high 12 rebounds.
Bacot led North Carolina with 19 points and 12 rebounds. Cormac Ryan scored 17 points, RJ Davis had 16 points and seven assists, and Ingram chipped in 12 points.
While Alabama slowed the Tar Heels in the second half, a break-neck offensive pace defined the first half.
North Carolina (29-8) shot 10-for-16 from 3-point range through the initial 20 minutes on the way to 54 halftime points.
Five Tar Heels reached at least eight points by intermission with the trio of Ryan, Bacot and Ingram all in double figures.
Alabama countered with Griffen, Sears and Estrada in double figures by halftime, and the Crimson Tide were 7-for-14 from long distance. Alabama finished 11-for-26 (42.3 percent) from beyond the arc, while North Carolina cooled down to close at 12-for-32 (37.5 percent).
The Tar Heels wound up shooting 38.5 percent from the floor overall, including 25 percent (10-for-40) in the second half.
–Field Level Media