- LOS ANGELES Grant Nelson was there to take advantage of the late-night stalemate in North Carolina on Thursday. At Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Thursday night, Alabama defeated top-seeded North Carolina 89-87 thanks to Nelson’s outstanding play down the stretch and a massive block late in the game. The Crimson Tide qualified for their first Elite Eight since 2004 as a result of it. In Alabama basketball history, there has only ever been one Elite Eight, according to head coach Nate Oats. “This guy really came out for the game tonight against one of the best big men in the nation.”The first half moved at an absurdly fast speed. During the first 20 minutes, both sides shot above 50% from the field and exchanged bucket after bucket, scoring a total of 100 points between them. However, North Carolina took the lead in the closing seconds of the game. About 3:30 remained in the half when Rylan Griffen made a 3-pointer, and then Alabama went cold. The Tar Heels finished the half on an 11-2 run to take an eight-point advantage into halftime, and the Crimson Tide could only muster one more made basket the rest of the game. In the first 20 minutes, North Carolina’s team made 10 3-pointers, mostly because of their extremely effective shooting.
