Alabama basketball vs UConn score, updates, highlights: Crimson Tide fall 86-73 in Final Four
Alabama basketball's historic season — where it made its first-ever Final Four in program history — has come to an end.
Though the score won't indicate and represent the fight the Crimson Tide put up with top-seeded UConn Saturday night inside State Farm Stadium, Alabama fell to the Huskies 86-72 in the Final Four.
For the majority of the game, Nate Oats' squad responded punch for punch after each Huskie run — including competing at the glass — but the Crimson Tide's offense went cold in the final 12 minutes of the second half as Alabama only hit five of its 17 shots from the floor.
REQUIRED READING: Alabama basketball goes down to UConn in Final Four, but not without a fight
Mark Sears led the Crimson Tide with 24 points on 9-of-14 shooting from the field. Grant Nelson, who made a highlight reel dunk over UConn 7-foot-2 forward Donovan Clingan in the second half, finished with 19 points on the night. Alabama ends its season at 25-12 overall.
Here's some highlights from Alabama's Final Four game against UConn:
REQUIRED READING: March Madness bracket 2024: Updated schedule, TV channels for Final Four, national championship game
Alabama vs UConn live score updates in Final Four
All times Central
Second half: UConn 86, Alabama 73
10:03 p.m.: Alabama falls to UConn 86-72 in the Final Four, ending its season. The Crimson Tide struggled in the final 12 minutes from the field as they only hit five of their 17 shots from the field. Mark Sears led Alabama with 24 points on 9 of 14 shooting.
REQUIRED READING: Nate Oats relationship with Dan, Bobby Hurley: How family helped Alabama basketball coach to Final Four
9:54 p.m.: Mark Sears hits a long 3-pointer to put him at 24 points on the night and bring the Alabama deficit to 76-68 with 2:54 to go. Dan Hurley calls a timeout 26 seconds later.
9:49 p.m.: Mark Sears draws the foul on Cam Spencer and it sends this game into the under-four media timeout. Alabama trails UConn by 10 with four minutes to go, 73-63. Alabama has hit just two of its last 11 shots from the field. It has also not converted a FG shot in the last 4:02.
9:40 p.m.: Alabama trails UConn 67-61 at the under-eight media timeout after Jarin Stevenson gets called for the foul. The Crimson Tide are shooting 47.4% from the field in the second half.
9:38 p.m.: Mark Sears with a shifty move to drive to the lane to get the layup and the AND-one. Sears hit the free-throw to make it a 3-0 run for the All-American guard. Alabama now trails UConn by six, 67-61 with 7:34 to go.
9:36 p.m.: Mark Sears ends an over three-minute scoreless drought for Alabama as he gets the jumper to hit. He is at 16 points on the night as the Crimson Tide now trail by six to UConn, 64-58.
9:27 p.m.: After tying the game at 56-56, Alabama's offense has cooled off over the last 2:14 as UConn pushes its leads to 64-56 with an 8-0 run. Nate Oats calls a timeout on the floor with 10:27 to go in the second half.
9:24 p.m.: Tied game at 56-56 as Nelson hits another jumper. Aaron Estrada is limping as the Crimson Tide get back on defense.
9:22 p.m.: Grant Nelson is heating up for the Crimson Tide as he hits the jumper over Clingan inside the paint. Alabama now trails UConn 55-54 with 13:27 to go in the second half.
9:18 p.m.: Crimson Tide on a quick 5-0 run out of the media timeout as Grant Nelson puts a POSTER on Donovan Clingan after the steal and block.
GRANT NELSON OH MY GOODNESS 😱#MarchMadness @AlabamaMBB pic.twitter.com/6qi24R5ZBm
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) April 7, 2024
9:15 p.m.: Media timeout on the floor as Mark Sears' pass is deflected out of bounds by UConn's Alex Karaban. Alabama trails UConn 55-47 with 15:31 to go in the second half as Stephon Castle had a dunk on the other end of the floor prior Sears' pass being sent out.
9:13 p.m.: Rylan Griffen moves his way through the paint and hits the jumper to make it a one-point game at 48-47. He is up to eight points on the night.
9:12 p.m.: Estrada continues the hot hand as he connects on back-to-back 3-pointers to cut the Alabama deficit to 48-45.
9:11 p.m: Aaron Estrada gets Alabama on the board in the second half with a 3-pointer. It is the Crimson Tide's ninth 3-pointer of the game. UConn now leads Alabama 48-43.
First half: UConn 44, Alabama 40
8:48 p.m.: The Crimson Tide held the Huskies to shoot 46.7% from the field in the first half. Stephon Castle, a projected NBA draft lottery pick, leads UConn with 13 points.
8:47 p.m.: Alabama foul trouble check: Mark Sears (2), Grant Nelson (2) and Nick Pringle (2)
8:47 p.m.: UConn leads Alabama 44-40 going into the locker room at halftime as Mark Sears drives through the lane and gets the ball to roll in off the class right before the buzzer. Alabama turned over the ball five times in the first half and shot 48.1% from the field. Sears leads the Crimson Tide with 11 points on 5-for-5 shooting from the field.
Halftime at the Final Four. pic.twitter.com/AvTrpXrfzy
— Alabama Men’s Basketball (@AlabamaMBB) April 7, 2024
8:43 p.m.: Dan Hurley calls a timeout on the floor with 42.3 seconds to go after Mark Sears hits a 3-pointer in front of the UConn bench to cut Alabama's deficit back to four, 42-38. Sears now has nine points on the night.
8:40 p.m.: Mark Sears gets his sixth point of the night as he gets the layup off the glass to roll in. Alabama now down 38-35 with two minutes to go.
8:36 p.m.: UConn leads Alabama 35-31 at the final media timeout of the first half. Crimson Tide are shooting 47.8% from the field. Aaron Estrada leads the team with eight points.
8:32 p.m.: Wrightsell hits a must-needed 3-pointer to end a scoring drought for the Crimson Tide. Alabama back up 31-30 with under five minutes to go until halftime.
8:30 p.m.: Alabama has cooled off offensively as it hasn't made a bucket over the last 2:40 as Rylan Griffen's shot is blocked by Hassan Diarra.
8:28 p.m.: Aaron Estrada gets called for a late foul under the basket. Nate Oats is showing his displeasure to one of the officials about the call.
8:27 p.m.: Nate Sears joins Grant Nelson in foul trouble as the Alabama point guard gets tabbed with his second foul of the game. UConn heading to the line for one-and-one.
8:25 p.m.: Alabama is shooting 66.7% from the field with 7:31 left in the first half compared to UConn's 50% from the floor.
8:22 p.m.: After coming up with a block on the other end of the floor, Nick Pringle draws a foul on the push on the other end. Stoppage on the court for the under-eight media timeout as Alabama is tied with UConn 28-28 with 7:31 to go until halftime. Crimson Tide have the ball coming out of the timeout.
8:21 p.m.: Alabama's shooting woes come to an end as Aaron Estrada connects on a 3-pointer in the winding seconds of the shot clock to tie the game at 28-28.
8:13 p.m.: Cling Kong POSTER! Donovan Clingan finishes a pass from Tristen Newton with an emphatic dunk. Alabama calls a timeout as Clingan's dunk pushes the UConn run to 6-0 over the last 1:13 out of the media timeout. Huskies lead the Crimson Tide 24-23.
"BIG FINISH FOR THE BIG FELLA" - Ian Eagle pic.twitter.com/3O5Jnmmwjx
— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) April 7, 2024
8:09 p.m.: According to ESPN's Pete Thamel, UConn big man Donovan Clingan injured his right hand in practice yesterday. As a result, Clingan has his hand wrapped for Saturday's Final Four game against Alabama.
Per a UConn spokesman, Donovan Clingan injured his right hand in practice yesterday. That explains why there's a wrap around it today.
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) April 7, 2024
8:09 p.m.: Alabama is finding its rhythm offensively as Rylan Griffen hits the Crimson Tide's fifth 3-pointer of the night to put Bama up 23-18 over UConn.
8:06 p.m.: Welcome back Latrell Wrightsell Jr! In his first game back from a heady injury, Wrightsell gives Alabama its first lead of the night as he drains a 3-pointer. Alabama leads UConn 18-16.
Latrell Wrightsell TRIPLE pic.twitter.com/AoL1zmjsqi
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) April 7, 2024
8:05 p.m.: Mark Sears gets on the board as he hits the mid-range jumper. Tie game at 15-15 with 13:24 to go in the first half. Alabama shooting 50% from the field to begin the game.
8:03 p.m.: Grant Nelson heads to the bench as he picks up his second foul of the game at the 13:41 mark. Alex Karaban hits two free-throws for UConn to put the Huskies back up by two, 15-13.
8:59 p.m.: UConn leads Alabama 13-8 at the under-16 media timeout with 15:31 left in the first half. Huskies have heated up offensively of late, hitting four of their last five shots. Grant Nelson has five of Alabama's eight points.
8:53 p.m.: Grant Nelson gets things rolling for Alabama in the Final Four as he connects on his first 3-pointer of the night!
Grant Nelson gets things going with a triple 👌#MarchMadness @AlabamaMBB pic.twitter.com/82ftnT57xN
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) April 7, 2024
8:51 p.m.: UConn wins the tip.
8:34 p.m.: Dan Hurley going with Tristen Newton, Stephon Castle, Cam Spencer, Alex Karaban and Donovan Clingan for his Starting Five against Alabama in the Final Four
8:33 p.m.: Nate Oats going with Mark Sears, Rylan Griffen, Aaron Estrada, Grant Nelson and Nick Pringle for his Starting Five against UConn in the Final Four
6:27 p.m.: Alabama has arrived at State Farm Stadium for its first-ever Final Four
Nate Oats is here for the Final Four pic.twitter.com/zDo4QdnDLE
— Nick Kelly (@_NickKelly) April 6, 2024
3:01 p.m.: ESPN "College Gameday" host Rece Davis narrated Alabama's hype video for Saturday's Final Four vs. UConn.
𝙒𝙝𝙮 𝙎𝙩𝙤𝙥 𝙉𝙤𝙬
Narrated by @ReceDavis pic.twitter.com/b6hicmeUHt— Alabama Men’s Basketball (@AlabamaMBB) April 6, 2024
3 p.m.: UConn has won each of its four games in the NCAA Tournament this season by an average of 27.8 points per game. Alabama has held its opponents in March Madness this season to shoot less than 29% in each of its four NCAA Tournament games. Alabama is No. 9 in adjusted tempo on KenPom, so look for that to be a big factor in Saturday's game, especially in the first five minutes.
Grant Nelson dunks over Donovan Clingan
Grant Nelson added to his March Madness highlight reel as he dunked over UConn 7-foot-2 forward Donovan Clingan in the second half:
GRANT NELSON OH MY GOODNESS 😱#MarchMadness @AlabamaMBB pic.twitter.com/6qi24R5ZBm
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) April 7, 2024
UConn's Donovan Clingan injured hand Friday during practice, per Thamel
If you have noticed UConn forward Donovan Clingan having his right hand wrapped, there's a reason for it. According to ESPN's Pete Thamel, a UConn spokesman told him Clingan injured his right hand in practice on Friday at State Farm Stadium.
Per a UConn spokesman, Donovan Clingan injured his right hand in practice yesterday. That explains why there's a wrap around it today.
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) April 7, 2024
Alabama starting lineup vs UConn in the Final Four
Starting ✋ vs. UConn. pic.twitter.com/tYxhxLulSk
— Alabama Men’s Basketball (@AlabamaMBB) April 7, 2024
Alabama football coach Kalen DeBoer tweets 'good luck' to Nate Oats and Co.
Kalen DeBoer has made his mark on the Alabama football program this offseason through several ways, one being becoming the first Crimson Tide coach to tweet, something his predecessor, Nick Saban, did not do in his 17 years in Tuscaloosa. Before Nate Oats and Alabama basketball tipped off Saturday against UConn, DeBoer tweeted good luck to the Tide in the Final Four.
Good luck @AlabamaMBB!
Roll Tide! 🐘 https://t.co/Xjb8R9OXIj— Kalen DeBoer (@KalenDeBoer) April 6, 2024
What channel is Alabama vs UConn on today? How to watch, stream live
TV channel: TBS
Stream: NCAA March Madness Line app | Sling TV
Alabama and UConn will square off in the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament on TBS. You can stream the game on the free March Madness Live app or on Sling TV. Ian Eagle (play-by-play), Bill Raftery (analyst), Grant Hill (analyst) and Tracy Wolfson (sideline reporter) will have the call of the Crimson Tide vs. the Huskies on TBS.
REQUIRED READING: Nate Oats relationship with Dan, Bobby Hurley: How family helped Alabama basketball coach to Final Four
Alabama vs UConn start time, TV info, location
Start time: Approximately 7:49 p.m. CT
TV info: TBS
Location: State Farm Stadium (Glendale, Ariz.)
Alabama and UConn will tip off at approximately 7:49 p.m. CT on Saturday, April 6 in the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament from State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. The Crimson Tide and Huskies will take the court following the conclusion of 1 seed Purdue vs. 11 seed NC State, which tips off at 5:09 p.m. CT.
Alabama vs UConn preview
Alabama: High-tempo pace and highly efficient scoring. Alabama, who has scored over 100 points 10 different times this season, holds the No. 1 ranked offense in the country at 90.6 points per game. The Crimson Tide are averaging 11.2 3-pointers per game this season. Keep an eye on All-American guard Mark Sears, Grant Nelson and Aaron Estrada to get hot at any point for Alabama.
UConn: The Huskies are going for their sixth national title and second consecutive. UConn has again been dominant in the NCAA Tournament, outscoring their opponents by 111 points in four games. Newton and Donovan Clingan are the two key players for the Huskies. Newton leads the Huskies offense with 15.0 points per game. Watch for Cam Spencer from beyond the arc, as he ranks sixth in the nation with a 44% mark from 3.
Alabama vs UConn odds, betting line, spread
Odds according to BetMGM as of Saturday
Spread: UConn (-11.5)
Over/under: 160.5
Moneyline: UConn -750 | Alabama +525
REQUIRED READING: Inside Nate Oats' long-winding journey to the Final Four
Alabama vs UConn prediction, game picks
Here's the game prediction from the Tuscaloosa News' Alabama beat reporter Nick Kelly:
If the Crimson Tide plays its best game on offense and defense, it can give UConn plenty to handle and maybe just maybe can pull off the win. But it's not likely. There might not be any team that can stop this UConn team, which has few weaknesses and plenty of elite talent. The pick: UConn 89, Alabama 80.
Alabama vs UConn injury updates
Alabama: Crimson Tide guard Latrell Wrightsell has been battling a head injury the last two games. He told reporters this week in Phoenix that he will "be able to play" in Saturday's Final Four game against UConn.
UConn: None
Alabama vs UConn stats
Alabama
PPG: 90.6
PPG allowed: 81.1
FG%: 47.7%
3PT%: 37.1%
KenPom ranking: 12
UConn
PPG: 81.4
PPG allowed: 63.3
FG%: 49.8%
3PT%: 35.8%
KenPom ranking: 1
Alabama vs UConn championship odds
Odds according to BetMGM as of Saturday
Alabama: +1800
UConn: -190
Alabama basketball schedule 2023-24
Below are the results from Alabama's last five games. For the Crimson Tide's full schedule, click here.
Date | Opponent |
Friday, March 15 | Florida 102, Alabama 88 (SEC Tournament) |
Friday, March 22 | (4) Alabama 109, (13) Charleston 96 (NCAA Tournament) |
Sunday, March 24 | (4) Alabama 72, (12) Grand Canyon 61 (NCAA Tournament) |
Thursday, March 28 | (4) Alabama 89, (1) UNC 87 (NCAA Tournament) |
Saturday, March 30 | (4) Alabama 89, (6) Clemson 82 (NCAA Tournament) |
Saturday, April 6 | vs. (1) UConn (NCAA Tournament) |
UConn basketball schedule 2023-24
Below are the results from UConn's last five games. For the Huskies' full schedule, click here.
Date | Opponent |
Saturday, March 16 | UConn 73, Marquette 57 (Big East Tournament) |
Friday, March 22 | (1) UConn 91, (16) Stetson 52 (NCAA Tournament) |
Sunday, March 24 | (1) UConn 75, (9) Northwestern 58 (NCAA Tournament) |
Thursday, March 28 | (1) UConn 82, (5) San Diego State 52 (NCAA Tournament) |
Saturday, March 30 | (1) UConn 77, (3) Illinois 52 (NCAA Tournament) |
Saturday, April 6 | vs. (4) Alabama (NCAA Tournament) |
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This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Alabama basketball vs UConn score, updates, highlights: Crimson Tide fall 86-73