No. 1 seed Alabama is done.
San Diego State’s defense swarmed the Crimson Tide on Friday while an offensive outburst from senior guard Darrion Trammell sealed the deal as the Aztecs upended the Crimson Tide, 71-64 in the Sweet 16. The win eliminates the tournament’s No. 1 overall seed and likely ends the collegiate career of Alabama star Brandon Miller.
The Aztecs set the tone from the opening tip. Twelve minutes into the game, Alabama had as many turnovers (four) as it did made field goals. Miller started 0-4 from the field and briefly left the game at the 14:49 mark of the first half after picking up his second foul. He finished with nine points while shooting 3 of 19 from the field.
Nate Oats didn’t keep his star on the bench long. He subbed him back in with 10:49 remaining and explained the decision to decision to CBS.
“I’m putting him in right now,” Oats said. “Screw it. We’ve got to win or go home. We’re playing him.”
The decision paid off in the short term. Miller hit his next two field goals then delivered a driving assist to center Charles Bediako to give the Tide a 19-16 lead.
But SDSU responded with a 5-0 run, and the Aztecs defense continued to fluster an offense that averaged 82.3 points per game entering the Sweet 16. SDSU defenders repeatedly clogged passing lanes and challenged Alabama ball handlers. The Atzecs forced seven Crimson Tide turnovers while taking a 28-23 lead into halftime.
But Alabama came out energized in the second half. It looked repeatedly inside to Bediako, who leaned on his 7-foot frame to connect on 3 of 4 field goals including a dunk in traffic as Alabama opened the second half with a 13-4 run.
The Tide opened their lead to 48-39 before SDSU’s Darrion Trammell scored eight straight points to cut the Aztecs deficit to 48-47. A Nathan Mensah free throw tied the game at 48 before an Adam Seiko 3-pointer capped a 12-0 run to give San Diego State a 51-48 lead
The Aztecs rode the momentum to a 64-55 lead with 3:08 remaining. Alabama clawed back to cut the deficit to 66-64, but it never regained the lead. In the end, SDSU’s defense was simply too much.
The Aztecs entered Thursday ranked No. 6 in the nation in KenPom’s adjusted defensive efficiency. The Crimson Tide learned why on Friday. Alabama shot 32.4% from the field while connecting on just 3 of 27 (11.1%) 3-point attempts. The Aztecs secured nine steals, blocked eight shots and forced 14 Alabama turnovers.
Mensah, the Mountain West Defensive player of the year, repeatedly sent back Alabama offerings while tallying five blocks. He recorded two on a single key second-half possession to maintain a 53-50 SDSU lead.
The Aztecs did this all against an Alabama offense that ranked 18th in the nation in adjusted offensive efficiency.
Trammell, meanwhile, got the job done on offense. He added 13 points to his personal 8-0 mini run in the second half to lead all scorers with 21. He shot 9 of 16 from the field including a 3-of-5 effort from 3-point distance.
The win ends Alabama’s controversial national championship bid. The Crimson Tide secured the tournament’s No. 1 overall seed thanks largely to Miller, a projected top-3 NBA draft pick who earned SEC Player of the Year honors. Police say that Miller delivered a gun to the scene of a fatal shooting in January involving ex-teammate Darius Miles. Miles now faces a capital murder charge.
Miller does not face charges, and he continued to play as Alabama sought its first-ever national title.
San Diego State instead will advance to the East regional final for its first-ever Elite 8 appearance. It will face Friday’s Princeton-Creighton winner on Sunday with a trip to the Final Four at stake.
Source: News