Sexton hits game-winner to keep Alabama's NCAA Tournament hopes alive
Collin Sexton had the last laugh and gave Alabama another breath.
With its season on life support, the Crimson Tide trailed Texas A&M by one with 4.4 seconds remaining in its opening game of the SEC Tournament on Thursday. Driving the length of the court, Sexton finger-rolled a game-winning layup at the buzzer to give Alabama a 71-70 victory and a chance at earning an NCAA Tournament bid.
Sexton’s game-winning layup came after Texas A&M point guard T.J. Starks hit a deep 3 to put the Aggies up in what looked to be the final blow to Alabama’s season. However, in true roller-coaster fashion, Alabama now extends its run in the SEC Tournament to Friday where it will face No. 1 seed Auburn at noon.
For much of the game Thursday, Alabama exhibited the same detrimental tendencies that seemed bound to end its season without a trip to the NCAA Tournament. The Crimson Tide got off to a slow start from beyond the arc and allowed Texas A&M to dominate the boards 44-33, giving up 17 offensive rebounds and 19 second-chance points.
Still, Alabama’s postseason aspirations remain intact.
The Crimson Tide snapped a five-game losing streak with the victory. Whether that will be enough for Alabama to earn its first NCAA Tournament bid since 2012 is unclear. However, a loss Thursday would have essentially ended all hope.
While Alabama fought for its life, it also has Texas A&M to thank for its extended run in the tournament. The Aggies shot just 31.3 percent from the field in the first half, allowing Alabama to take a 35-28 lead at the break despite its deficiencies on the glass.
The Crimson Tide also took advantage of 17 Texas A&M turnovers, which led to 11 points on the other end. Texas A&M turned the ball over on four straight possessions late in the game during a period when Alabama was shooting 1 of 14 from the floor.
After a 1 of 6 start from the floor, Alabama finished with a solid shooting performance, making 28 of 59 (47 percent) of it shots on the day.
Alabama improved to 18-14 with the win, while Texas A&M fell to 20-12.
Tide's top performers
Matching up in what has become a personal battle with Starks, Sexton got the best of his fellow freshman. Sexton led Alabama with a game-high 27 points to go with five assists on 9 of 16 shooting, while Starks finished with 23 points to lead Texas A&M.
Starks was ejected for shoving Sexton in the head during Texas A&M’s 68-66 victory over Alabama in College Station, Texas, over the weekend in an incident where both players picked up technical fouls. The two exchanged plenty of big plays Thursday. However, it was Alabama’s five-star freshman who got the final say.
Dazon Ingram finished with 13 points and was followed in double figures by Donta Hall with 11 points. Galin Smith was a late addition to Alabama’s starting lineup and came up big for the Crimson Tide with eight points on 4 of 5 shooting.
It was over when
Following Stark’s go-ahead 3, Braxton Key inbounded the ball at the baseline, taking a couple of steps to his left before finding Sexton. From there, the freshman point guard dashed up the court, blowing by Texas A&M defenders en route to the game-winner. Sexton was then mobbed by the entire Alabama bench. The play was reviewed to see whether or not Sexton got the shot off in time, but the initial ruling was confirmed giving Alabama a crucial victory.
Next up
Alabama will now advance to the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament where it will take on Auburn. While Alabama might have already locked up a bid in the NCAA Tournament with a win over Texas A&M on Thursday, a victory over the Tigers would see the Crimson Tide rest much easier on Selection Sunday.
The two teams split their two previous games this season with each side winning at home. Alabama beat Auburn 76-71 in January, while the Tigers blew out the Crimson Tide 90-71 last month.
Auburn features two second-team All-SEC guards in Bryce Brown and Jared Harper. Brown leads the SEC with 100 made 3s and is averaging 16.4 points per game. Harper is third in the conference averaging 5.7 assists to go with 13.9 points per game. He scored a team-high 21 points in Auburn’s win over Alabama. Mustapha Heron leads Auburn with 16.6 points per game and is also averaging 5.5 rebounds.
