The 3-pointer: Alabama beats Clemson to punch ticket to first Final Four

LOS ANGELES — Alabama basketball has made history.

The Crimson Tide is heading to its first-ever Final Four after an 89-82 win over Clemson on Saturday night.

Both teams were in attack mode all game long and seemed to find answers to each other's big plays. When Alabama hit a 3, Clemson responded with an and-1. When the Tigers won a defensive sequence, Alabama answered back by forcing a shot clock violation.

It was a high-intensity clash between two teams that have been through the wringer this season. But Alabama had enough in the tank to outlast the Tigers and cut down the nets as champions of the West region.

"They've just been all about winning," Alabama coach Nate Oats said. "I mean, nobody really cares who's scoring the points, and get a little frustrated and they just keep playing together. I mean, I've got multiple guys telling me to keep other guys in the game. And there's been no selfishness in this four-game run."

Here are three takeaways from Alabama’s Elite Eight win over Clemson.

Clemson kept making 3s. It kept finding buckets. The Tigers refused to go away after Alabama ripped the lead away from them at halftime.

Until its win over North Carolina, Alabama had failed to close out a game against an elite side. With history on the line, Alabama refused to let those demons haunt it, no matter how many shots Clemson drilled to stay in it.

That’s when the Tide turned to its star.

Mark Sears drilled clutch 3 after clutch 3. Late 3s are what put the Tigers over the top inside Coleman Coliseum when the two teams squared off in November. It was hitting those triples again in the final minutes. But earlier runs by Alabama kept it out in front and heroic play from its best player closed the game out.

"My teammates did a great job of pumping me up and encouraging me," Sears said. "The second half when Aaron [Estrada] found me for that 3 that's really when the basket started to look really big."

Sears finished the game with 23 points while drilling 7 of 14 shots from beyond the arc. He scored 18 of those points after the break while shooting a blazing 6 of 7 from deep.

Clemson’s makes required Alabama to close out the game at the free throw line. Alabama wasn’t perfect from the charity stripe Saturday, but Aaron Estrada and Grant Nelson his crucial freebies to seal the historic victory for Alabama.

Following the game, Sears was named MVP of the West Region. In Alabama's four NCAA Tournament games, he is averaging 24.25 points, 5.25 rebounds and 3.75 assists while shooting 50.8% from the floor and 44.7% from beyond the arc.

"I can't do this without my teammates," Sears said. "Without my teammates pumping me up, encouraging me and them finding me on open shots and telling me to shoot it when I'm open. You can't do it without your teammates."

When Grant Nelson forced to the bench with two early fouls, Alabama’s frontcourt reserves were forced into early action. An added pressure was also put on Nick Pringle, who battled through a foot injury Saturday.

After Alabama’s bench gave the Tide no points in the first half, its reserves stepped up and battled against a physical Clemson side.

It wasn’t easy. PJ Hall — who logged 21 points and eight rebounds against the Crimson Tide in November — and Ian Schieffelin made life extremely tenuous for any forward in the game. Schieffelin finished with 18 points and 11 boards, while Hall added stats as Clemson attacked the rim relentlessly.

But Alabama forward Jarin Stevenson showed no fear playing in the Elite Eight as a freshman. He relieved Nelson and gave Alabama a steady presence on both ends with the South Dakota State transfer on the bench. Stevenson scored 10 points in the first half and finished with 19 points, drilled five 3s and grabbed three rebounds.

"It's mainly just practice," Stevenson said. I knew just from practice I can knock those shots down. I'm just focusing on the next shot. Even though, yeah, I air balled one or two 3s, just focusing on the next shot, really just helping me shoot better."

When Nelson picked up his third foul with 15:54 to go Alabama needed more help from its other forwards. Stevenson didn’t switch off, making himself available in the corner for kickout 3s. His fellow reserve forwards hounded the glass. Alabama outrebounded Clemson 44-33. When it wasn't Stevenson hitting 3s, it was Pringle dominating the paint in the closing stages. Pringle finished with his best game in an Alabama uniform, logging 16 points and 11 rebounds.

"It was just being ready in the right moments, being in the right spots," Pringle said. "It's amazing, man. You never know who's night its going to be. I'm in love with this team. You look around and you just never know who's gonna go off, who's gonna pop off and its big for guys to step up in games like this."

No member of Alabama’s frontcourt had much success deafening 1-on-1 against the Tigers bigs, which meant Alabama had to defend and crash the glass as a team. But Alabama’s guards also played a big role in the rebounding effort and weren’t afraid to do the dirty work.

Estrada led Alabama with five rebounds in the first half as Alabama gained an edge on the rebounding battle by halftime after it initially looked like it would be a long night in the paint for the Crimson Tide. In addition to Pringle and Nelson's effort in the post, Estrada finished with eight rebounds, while Sears added three.

Against its NCAA Tournament opponents this season, Clemson has denied teams from big outings from beyond the arc.

For the first portion of the opening period, it seemed that trend would continue that trend against a Crimson Tide team that had found its groove from deep coming into the game. Alabama went ice cold from the opening tip starting 1-for-8 from 3.

Then came the spark.

Alabama showed how it made the jump to a Final Four team Saturday. When the makes weren’t coming it didn’t drop its effort on defense. The Crimson Tide forced some Clemson misses and just as Oats frequently says, its 3-point offense got going.

"We workout pretty hard so we know we're gonna make shots even if we miss the first couple," Griffen said. "That's all it is, just staying confident in our jump shot. Everything's going to even out. Mark's a 50% 3-point shooter it's gonna even out. If he goes 0 of 6 we expect him to make the next six."

That formula worked. Alabama ripped off a 20-4 run in a 5:44 span to snatch away the lead by the halftime break. Its offense came alive thanks to another hard-nosed effort on the opposite end. Alabama’s 3-point percentage rose to 44% by the final buzzer.

Clemson kept clawing its way back. But Alabama’s shooters proved to be too much, guiding the Tide to its first Final Four.