March Madness: Alabama upsets North Carolina, led by Grant Nelson

In a late-night showdown on Thursday, North Carolina faltered, allowing Grant Nelson to seize the opportunity. Nelson's stellar performance, including a crucial block, propelled Alabama to a stunning 89-87 upset victory over top-seeded North Carolina at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. This victory marks Alabama's first Elite Eight appearance since 2004. Nelson concluded the game with an impressive stat line, registering 24 points, 12 rebounds, and 5 blocks in a total of 36 minutes of play.

The pace set in the initial half was incredibly frenetic. Within the first 20 minutes, both teams collectively amassed 100 points, shooting over 50% from the field, engaging in back-and-forth exchanges of scoring runs.

However, it was the latter part of the half where North Carolina surged ahead. Following Rylan Griffen's 3-pointer with approximately 3:30 remaining, Alabama's offense stalled, managing only one field goal for the remainder of the half. The Tar Heels capitalized on this, ending the half with an 11-2 run, securing an eight-point lead at halftime. Notably, North Carolina's success was buoyed by Cormac Ryan's hot shooting from beyond the arc, sinking four of his first five attempts.


Predictably, maintaining such an intense pace proved unsustainable. North Carolina struggled at the onset of the second half, missing their first 10 field goal attempts, including six from long range. It took nearly five minutes for Armando Bacot to notch their first field goal. As the Tar Heels endured a 2-of-18 shooting slump, a missed dunk by Bacot allowed Alabama to swiftly close the gap.

With the game hanging in the balance late, Alabama appeared primed for victory as Grant Nelson orchestrated a pivotal 7-0 run, punctuated by a crucial 3-pointer prompting a timeout from Hubert Davis. Yet, North Carolina mounted an 8-0 surge, briefly regaining the lead before Nelson's resilient and-1 layup swung the advantage back in Alabama's favor by two points.

North Carolina attempted to mount a response, but Nelson emphatically denied RJ Davis at the rim, generating another turnover. This pivotal play propelled the Crimson Tide to secure a narrow two-point victory, clinching their second-ever Elite Eight appearance.

Nelson's performance proved instrumental for Alabama, not only for his contribution of 12 of the team's last 14 points in the victory but also given his lackluster showings in the Crimson Tide's initial two tournament matchups. In those games, Nelson managed just three points each and struggled, shooting a combined 1-of-7 from the field. However, against the Tar Heels, he showcased a remarkable resurgence, tallying 24 points while shooting an efficient 6-of-9 from the field.

Alabama is set to face Clemson in the Elite Eight showdown on Saturday. Earlier on Thursday night, the Tigers stifled Caleb Love and pulled off an upset against No. 2 Arizona in their Sweet 16 matchup, propelling them into the Elite Eight for the first time since 1980.

Source Yahoo Sports : March Madness: Grant Nelson powers Alabama past No. 1 North Carolina to reach first Elite Eight since 2004