NEWARK, N.J. — On the bright but familiar stage of the NCAA Tournament, Mark Sears reminded everyone what makes him a two-time All-American.
Shooting slump? What shooting slump?
Sears led a historic 3-point barrage with 10-of-16 accuracy from deep, racking up 34 points to power No. 2 seed Alabama to a 113-88 victory over No. 6 seed BYU in the Sweet 16 on Thursday.
Alabama (28-8) made 25 3-pointers on 51 attempts, breaking NCAA Tournament records with both marks. The Crimson Tide advanced to the Elite Eight in the East Region and will face No. 1 Duke as they eye their second straight Final Four berth. The Blue Devils beat No. 4 Arizona 100-93 on Thursday.
“I was just in a zone. Once I (saw) the first three fell in, I felt the basket was as big as an ocean, and every time I shot I felt like it was going in,” said Sears, who had a 5-for-35 mark (14.3 percent) from deep in the past six games before Thursday.
Sears added eight assists and came one 3-pointer shy of tying the individual tournament record (Jeff Fryer, 1990 Loyola Marymount). Aden Holloway joined in with 23 points on 6-of-13 shooting from the arc, Chris Youngblood had 19 points (five 3-pointers) and Clifford Omoruyi scored 10.
Richie Saunders paced BYU (26-10) with 25 points. Egor Demin contributed 15 points and seven assists, Keba Keita had 13 points and Trevin Knell added 10. The Cougars outscored the Crimson Tide 50-16 in the paint but went 6-for-30 (20 percent) on 3-point tries.
“It was a perfect storm for them, just because I think the 3-point line can be very paralyzing and we play a similar style,” BYU’s Kevin Young said after reaching the Sweet 16 in his first year as a college coach. “… I’m disappointed at myself for not being able to find a solution. But some nights you’re trying everything, and it doesn’t seem to work.”
Alabama’s bombs-away mentality was clear from the get-go. In one stretch, the Crimson Tide attempted 14 consecutive 3-pointers without a 2-point try, making eight. That run ended when Grant Nelson (six points, 10 rebounds) flushed a fastbreak dunk for a 32-26 lead with 9:16 left in the half.
Alabama made 12 of 27 from the arc by halftime and led 51-40. Sears was 5 of 7 from deep, totaling 17 points, as he and his teammates took advantage of BYU’s choice to go under ball screens.
“I would say just for these two guys next to me,” Holloway said, referring to Sears and Youngblood, “an open three is kind of a layup.”
Sears drilled two more treys early in the second, bookending an 8-0 run for Alabama’s largest lead yet at 63-47. On the latter, Holloway set Sears up with a no-look, backwards bounce pass in transition, and the guards celebrated as BYU called timeout.
Demin scored nine straight BYU points, and the Cougars got within seven on Mawot Mag’s 3-pointer with 13:23 to go. Holloway answered with a trey on the next possession, and four minutes later, the Tide had stretched the lead to 20 for the first time.
There was still 6:30 remaining when Alabama reached 100 points, fittingly, on Sears’ 10th 3-pointer.
“Even when I was shooting 14 percent, my confidence was still high,” Sears said. “I never started doubting myself and stopped believing in myself. My teammates also, they kept encouraging me to keep shooting it, keep shooting it, keep shooting it.”
Alabama coach Nate Oats knows that a near-50 percent rate from 3-point range isn’t guaranteed in the Elite Eight.
“If Duke … decides they’re not going to give us some threes, that’s fine, too,” Oats said. “Let’s get to the rim. Now, the rim protection is going to be a little different. We’re going to have to figure out how to deal with that a little bit. … I don’t know that we’re going to repeat 51 threes attempted, but we’re going to have the guys ready to play the right way in my opinion and fresh.”
–Adam Zielonka, Field Level Media
