NEWARK, N.J. — Alabama dazzled with its three-point shooting prowess, setting a new March Madness record by sinking 25 shots from beyond the arc. Mark Sears played a pivotal role, accumulating 30 of his 34 total points from three-pointers, leading the second-seeded Crimson Tide to a triumphant 113-88 victory over BYU in the NCAA Tournament’s East Region semifinal.
Marking a historic achievement, Alabama reached the Elite Eight for the second consecutive year—an unprecedented feat for the program. The Crimson Tide’s 25 successful three-point attempts broke Loyola Marymount’s previous record of 21, set against Michigan in 1990. Sears, an acclaimed first-team All-America guard, nailed the record-setting 22nd three-pointer, pushing the score to 97-66. He received an exuberant ovation from Alabama fans as he left the court with ten threes to his name and more than four minutes to spare.
Under the guidance of coach Nate Oats, Alabama (28-8) has proven itself a formidable contender this March. Their next challenge will be against top-seeded Duke, as they compete for a place in the Final Four.
Richie Saunders led sixth-seeded BYU (26-10) with 25 points. The team hasn’t made a regional final appearance since 1981. Sears’ impressive ten three-pointers were just one shy of the record held by Loyola Marymount’s Jeff Fryer in their legendary 149-115 triumph over Michigan. Before this game, Sears was 1 of 9 from three-point range in the tournament but found his stride against BYU.
“The basket felt as expansive as an ocean,” Sears expressed, emphasizing his immersion in the game.
Last season, Alabama made its first-ever Final Four appearance, eventually losing to national champions UConn. This season, the team continued its affinity for the three-point line, averaging 28 attempts per game. Against BYU, they capitalized on this strategy.
Sears hit five threes in the first half, exploiting gaps in BYU’s defense. He and Chris Youngblood combined for back-to-back threes, first for a 38-30 lead, and again for a 44-34 advantage. Egor Demin’s airball for BYU signified Alabama’s seizing momentum.
Alabama took only 15 two-point attempts but impressively made 10.
“We’ve put in the work to hone our shooting,” Sears stated.
Sears reignited Alabama’s energy after hitting another three in the second half, extending their lead to 63-47 and forcing a BYU timeout. The swift, dynamic Crimson Tide team allowed Sears to maintain his three-point barrage as they neared the Elite Eight.
Previously, Alabama’s record for three-pointers was 23, achieved against LSU in 2021. John Petty Jr. had twice recorded ten threes, once against Samford in 2019.
Takeaways included Alabama bolstering the Southeastern Conference’s enduring presence in the tournament during their third straight Sweet 16 run. Holloway contributed six threes and Youngblood five. Collectively, Alabama shot 53% overall and converted 18 of 21 free-throw attempts.
BYU struggled to match Alabama’s long-range shooting. Saunders, connected to the invention of tater tots, had led BYU’s journey to the Sweet 16 amidst feeble three-point shooting from the Cougars, missing 12 of 13 first-half three-pointers.
“It was challenging to maintain their pace,” coach Kevin Young reflected. “We tried everything with no success.”
Despite BYU’s attempts to rally within range, another Alabama three-point shot dashed their hopes. After Demin’s three closed the gap to 63-55, Alabama’s Aden Holloway responded with another three to reassert their dominance.
“An open three feels like an easy layup,” Holloway remarked.
Next, Alabama aims for only their second Final Four in program history.