No. 4 seed Alabama’s tournament run finally came to an end in the Sweet 16, losing to No. 1 seed Michigan 90-77 on Friday.
The Crimson Tide went toe to toe with the No. 1 seed in the first half, but their worst second half of the season was too costly to overcome.
Here are a few takeaways from the game.
- Good Start
Alabama got off to a great start, battling the No. 1 seed. The Crimson Tide went blow for blow against Michigan and grabbed a 49-47 lead going into halftime, thanks to an 8-0 run the last 1:28 of the first half. Labaron Philon led the charge for the Alabama offense, scoring 19 first-half points. Latrell Wrightsell hit a couple of three-pointers and chipped in 10 points for the Crimson Tide in the first 20 minutes.
- Career Night for Philon
Labaron Philon put together one of his best games in a Crimson Tide jersey, but it just wasn’t enough. Philon scored a game-high 35 points, matching his career high. The talented guard was a perfect 9-for-9 from the free-throw line and 6-for-14 from behind the arc. Philon also led Alabama in rebounds with seven and assists with four in what probably will be his last game in a Crimson Tide jersey.
- Rough Second Half
You can argue poor shooting or good defense, but there is no argument that it was the worst half Alabama has had all season. The Crimson Tide were held to just 28 points in the second half after a hot first half in which they scored 49.
- Tough Shooting Night
It was a rough night shooting for the Crimson Tide. Three-pointers were hard to come by, and the two-pointers in the paint were equally as tough to score. Alabama finished the night shooting a measly 36% from the floor and just 30% from behind the arc. The only shining light shooting the basketball was at the free-throw line, where the Crimson Tide went 13-for-14 on the night.
Don't miss out!Subscribe to our newsletter and get our top stories every weekday morning.
