NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Alabama broke the 35-year-old March Madness record for 3-pointers with 25 and Mark Sears scored 30 of his 34 points on 3s, a relentless long-range spree that ushered the second-seeded Crimson Tide past BYU 113-88 on Thursday night in an NCAA Tournament East Region semifinal.
Alabama reached the Elite Eight in consecutive years for the first time in program history.
The Crimson Tide made 25 of 51 3-point attempts to break the record of 21 set by Loyola Marymount in 1990. Sears, a first-team All-America guard, hit the record-breaking 22nd 3 late in the game to make it 97-66. He received a standing ovation from the Alabama fans when he checked out with 10 3s and more than four minutes left to play.
Sears and the Crimson Tide (28-8) showed they are no March fluke under coach Nate Oats. Riding a wave of 3s, Alabama set itself up for a date against either Duke or Arizona for a shot at the Final Four.
Richie Saunders scored 25 points to lead BYU (26-10), which hasn’t played in a regional final since 1981.
Sears’ 10 3s were one short of the record set by Loyola Marymount’s Jeff Fryer in a memorable 149-115 second-round win over Michigan.
The Crimson Tide made their first Final Four appearance in school history last season, when they lost to eventual national champion UConn.
Alabama loved the 3 this season, averaging 28 attempts a game. Against sixth-seeded BYU (24-9), Sears and the Crimson Tide feasted on the long ball.
Sears hit five in the first half, camping out behind the arc without much of a hand in his face. Sears and Chris Youngblood hit back-to-back 3s for a 38-30 lead and repeated the feat minutes later for a 44-34 advantage. BYU’s Egor Demin followed with an airball and Alabama could smell crimson in the water.
Alabama attempted 15 2-pointers and made 10 of them.
Sears raised his teammates out of their seats and into a frenzy when another 3 early in the second half for a 63-47 lead that sent the shaken Cougars into a timeout. The deep, up-tempo Crimson Tide let Sears bury 3 after 3 after 3 with the Elite Eight in sight.
Takeaways
Alabama continued the Southeastern Conference’s run in the tournament and coasted in its third straight Sweet 16 appearance.
The shots — and now, free tater tots — dried up for BYU. Saunders, a descendant of the man who invented tater tots, had fueled BYU’s run to the Sweet 16.
BYU was a bust trying match Alabama beyond the arc. The Cougars missed 12 of 13 3s in the first half.
The Cougars gamely pulled within striking distance only to get socked down by, yes, another Alabama 3. Demin hit a 3 that pulled BYU within 63-55, only for Aden Holloway to connect again beyond the arc for the Tide.
Holloway made six 3s and Youngblood had five.
Up next
Alabama will try to reach only the second Final Four in program history.
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