TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Latrell Wrightsell, Jr. scored 24 points and fourth-seeded Alabama earned a fourth straight trip to the Sweet 16 with a 90-65 second-round rout of No. 5 seed Texas Tech in the NCAA Tournament on Sunday night.
The Crimson Tide (25-9), who also got 15 points from Houston Mallette, advanced to the Midwest Region semifinals against top-seeded Michigan in Chicago next Friday night. They built an early double-digit lead against the Red Raiders (23-11), exploiting a size advantage inside to dominate the backboards and making 11 3-pointers on the way to leading 49-25 at halftime.
Texas Tech, which reached the Elite Eight a year ago, didn’t get closer than 18 the rest of the way. Alabama, two years removed from a Final Four run, led by 34 in the second half.
“This is the fourth straight Sweet 16 we’ve been to, these guys know what it takes,” Alabama coach Nat Oats said. “Right out of the gate … we were ready to play.”
Both teams entered March Madness short-handed. The Red Raiders were playing without injured All-American JT Toppin, who tore the ACL in his right knee last month, and Alabama played without star guard Aden Holloway, who was suspended indefinitely after being arrested on a felony drug charge last week.
Texas Tech, which had a school-record four wins over top-10-teams this season, struggled down the stretch after losing Toppin and simply had no answers for Alabama’s suffocating defense or the Crimson Tide’ speed.
The Red Raiders shot just 34.4% from the field, including 4 of 25 on 3-point attempts, and were outrebounded 47-35, with Alabama collecting 12 offensive rebounds alone in the first half.
Alabama only got nine points from Labaron Philon, Jr. after its leading scorer had 29 in a first-round win over Hofstra. But with Wrightsell making six 3-pointers and Mallette finishing with five, Alabama didn’t need any more scoring. Philon did lead his team with 12 assists.
“We came out there with an energy and effort that wasn’t matched (by Texas Tech). We played for each other. We played to move on, but we also played one possession at a time,” Wrightsell said. “We didn’t take it for granted. … It was never looking at the bigger picture, never looking at the score.”
LeJuan Watts led Texas Tech with 16 points. Donovan Atwell had 12.
“What a tough night for our team,” Red Raiders coach Grant McCasland said. “Alabama was awesome. They were so much more aggressive on both ends of the floor.
“This one is on me. I didn’t have us ready to go,” McCasland added. “We ran into a team that was more determined, that was tougher than we were, and that’s always our standard for winning.”
Parade of 3s
The teams combined to shoot 67 3-pointers, with Alabama going 19 for 42 and Texas Tech finishing 4 of 25.
Familiar territory
Alabama advanced to the Sweet 16 for the 12th time, fifth under Oats. Texas Tech made it out of the first weekend of the tournament each of the past two years under McCasland.
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AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness