Grant Nelson did things his way to get Alabama to the Elite Eight.

With Alabama up 89-87 on North Carolina in the Sweet 16 and under a second on the clock, Nelson missed both of his free throws, seemingly opening the door for a March Miracle from the Tar Heels if they could hit a full-court shot as time expired.

REQUIRED READING: Grant Nelson powers Alabama basketball past UNC into Elite Eight in March Madness

Nelson, however, turned around and blocked the Hail Mary shot, ending the game in a fashion that almost felt even more dramatic.

It was a quintessential exclamation point for Nelson, who made several key plays for Alabama down the stretch to lead the Crimson Tide to the second Elite Eight in program history and the first since 2004.

Alabama had made the Sweet 16 in 2021 and 2023, but ultimately fell short in both seasons. The third time ended up being the charm for Nate Oats, who saw Nelson put up 24 points and haul in 12 rebounds to give Alabama a win over one of college basketball's eminent blue bloods.

Social media reactions to Grant Nelson block

Users on X (formerly known as Twitter) were floored by Nelson's dramatic finish.

Nelson also finished the game with five blocks, including a monster of a block on RJ Davis as Davis streaked into the lane out of control.

But it was the fifth block that will be the great what-if for Hubert Davis and North Carolina. Even with a 99.99% chance that shot doesn't go in, it's impossible to not wonder about that 0.01% in March, where madness is known to happen.

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Grant Nelson fullcourt block seals Alabama basketball win vs UNC in Sweet 16