Alabama rolls by Saint Mary’s 80-66 to reach the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16 for a 3rd straight year

CLEVELAND (AP) — Alabama thundered past Saint Mary’s 80-66 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Sunday night, using a steady stream of alley-oop dunks to reach the Sweet 16 for a third consecutive year.

Chris Youngblood led the second-seeded Crimson Tide (27-8) with 13 points. Six players finished in double figures for Alabama, including forward Grant Nelson, who had 12 points and eight rebounds after sitting out the majority of a first-round game against Robert Morris due to a knee injury.

All-American guard Mark Sears had 12 points and three assists, including a pretty lob that Clifford Omoruyi slammed through for a reverse dunk that put the Tide up 14 with just under 8 minutes to play.

Omoruyi had 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Crimson Tide, who built a double-digit lead late in the first half and never let the Gaels (29-6) get closer than eight the rest of the way.

Alabama will play sixth-seeded BYU in the East Regional semifinals in Newark, New Jersey, on Thursday.

Mitchell Saxen led Saint Mary’s with 15 points and Jordan Wessels added 11.

The Gaels shot just 25% (9 of 36) in the first half. Forced to pick up the tempo a little bit against the nation’s highest scoring team, Saint Mary’s spent most of the final 20 minutes trading baskets with a group that has grown accustomed to success this time of year under coach Nate Oats.

Alabama’s 80 points marked the most Saint Mary’s has given up this season.

Two-time West Coast Conference Player of the Year Augustas Marciulionis finished with 11 points on 3-of-11 shooting, and the Gaels made just 3 of 14 3-point attempts.

Takeaways

Saint Mary’s: The Gaels have pulled even — and the last two years surpassed — longtime WCC power Gonzaga during the regular season. The breakthrough March run that has defined the Zags’ success has remained elusive for Saint Mary’s.

Alabama: The deep, relentless Crimson Tide just keep coming at opponents in waves. While Sears didn’t have a great night offensively, making only 5 of 15 shots, it hardly mattered. Backcourt mates Labaron Philon and Aden Holloway were happy to pick up the slack, combining for 18 points and eight assists.

Up next

Alabama heads to New Jersey looking to reach the Final Four for a second consecutive year. Their depth and pace will make the school a tough out.