In Newark, New Jersey, Alabama’s basketball team made history during the Sweet 16 of March Madness by achieving an extraordinary feat from the three-point line.
The Crimson Tide shattered records by sinking 25 three-pointers out of 51 attempts, dethroning Loyola Marymount’s record that stood for 35 years.
Mark Sears played a pivotal role in Alabama’s commanding 113-88 victory over BYU on Thursday night, delivering an impressive performance by hitting 10 of 16 from beyond the arc and scoring a total of 34 points.
Sears commented on his performance, stating, “I was just in a zone. Once I saw the first 3 go in, it felt like the basket was as big as an ocean. Every shot seemed line it was destined to sink in. I got lost in the game and let everything unfold naturally.”
Sears achieved a significant milestone by hitting Alabama’s record-breaking 22nd three-pointer, boosting the score to 97-66 and receiving enthusiastic applause when he left the court with four minutes to spare.
Just one long-range shot short of breaking Jeff Fryer’s record set during Loyola Marymount’s historic 149-115 tournament win over Michigan in 1990, Sears fell just a tad below the mark.
In 1990, the BYU Lions, under the leadership of coach Paul Westhead, ruthlessly scored over 100 points in almost every game of the season. Interestingly, after defeating Michigan, Loyola Marymount’s next match was against Alabama, recording their lowest score of the season in a close 62-60 match against coach Wimp Sanderson’s team.
Currently, under the guidance of coach Nate Oats, Alabama reigns as the nation’s highest-scoring team, averaging 90.8 points per game. This game marks the ninth occasion where they broke the 100-point threshold.
Prior to this game, Sears, a first-team All-America guard, had been fighting a shooting slump.
His poor performance during the first tournament weekend and during the past five games saw his shooting percentage plummet from 44% last year to 33% this season. This game allowed Sears to break free from that slump.
Coach Oats praised Sears’ tactical approach, likening it to “playing chess, not checkers,” and noted how Sears overcame perceptions of being in a slump to take control of the game.
The rest of Alabama’s team followed suit, focusing on deep shots with only 15 attempts from within the arc, and a remarkable shooting rate of 53% overall, succeeded by 18 out of 21 free throws.
They even broke a recent record for 3-point attempts, exceeding the 46 tries Texas Tech achieved the previous week.
Aden Holloway contributed six three-pointers while Chris Youngblood added five, resulting in Alabama collectively shooting 49% from the three-point line.
This achievement also marked their highest number of successful three-pointers in any game throughout the program’s history and was a notable accomplishment during their third consecutive Sweet 16 appearance.
Holloway commented, “An open three is as easy as a layup, so it was great to see 77% of our attempts coming from three-point tonight.”
Alabama had previously set their three-point record at 23 against LSU in 2021, with John Petty Jr. making 10 three-pointers in that match and another against Samford in 2019.
While BYU missed 24 of its 30 three-point attempts, Alabama’s defense remained robust but not quite at the level needed for further progression.
Coach Oats emphasized the importance of defensive improvements, as they prepare for a likely face-off against top-seeded Duke.
The long-range success story of last year’s Final Four appearance recurs here.
Sears’s previous seven three-pointers and the team’s collective 16 against Clemson propelled them past the Elite Eight.
As future opponents Duke or Arizona arise, should they crowd the perimeter, Coach Oats plans for Alabama to take the game to the rim instead.