Newark, N.J. – Alabama made history on Thursday night, shattering a 35-year-old March Madness record with 25 three-pointers in their 113-88 victory over BYU in the NCAA Tournament East Region semifinal. Mark Sears led the charge, scoring 30 of his 34 points from beyond the arc, as the second-seeded Crimson Tide advanced to the Elite Eight for the second consecutive year.
The Crimson Tide’s 25 made threes surpassed the previous record of 21, set by Loyola Marymount in a second-round game against Michigan in 1990. Sears hit the record-breaking 22nd three-pointer late in the game, pushing Alabama’s lead to 97-66. The Alabama crowd gave him a standing ovation as he exited the game with 10 three-pointers and over four minutes remaining.
Sears’ remarkable performance, combined with Alabama’s relentless three-point barrage, reaffirmed their status as a serious contender under coach Nate Oats. The Crimson Tide (28-8) will now face top-seeded Duke in the Elite Eight, with a chance to secure a spot in the Final Four.
Richie Saunders led the sixth-seeded Cougars (26-10) with 25 points, but BYU’s lack of success from deep proved costly. The Cougars have not reached a regional final since 1981.
Sears’ ten three-pointers were just one shy of the record set by Loyola Marymount’s Jeff Fryer, who hit 11 in a thrilling 149-115 win over Michigan. Sears had struggled from beyond the arc in the first two tournament games, making only 1 of 9 attempts, but he found his rhythm against BYU, missing just seven times on Thursday.
“The basket felt enormous tonight,” Sears said. “I was in the zone, just lost myself in the game.”
Last season, Alabama made its first-ever Final Four appearance, ultimately falling to UConn, the eventual national champions. This season, the Crimson Tide have leaned heavily on the three-point shot, averaging 28 attempts per game. Against BYU, their sharpshooting was on full display.
Sears hit five three-pointers in the first half, finding open space beyond the arc with ease. He and Chris Youngblood hit back-to-back threes to give Alabama a 38-30 lead, then repeated the feat for a 44-34 advantage. BYU’s Egor Demin followed with an airball, and Alabama capitalized on the opportunity.
The Crimson Tide attempted just 15 two-pointers and converted 10 of them, demonstrating their commitment to the long ball.
“We spent the whole week working on getting our shot right,” Sears said.
Alabama’s up-tempo style and unrelenting three-point shooting overwhelmed BYU in the second half. Sears’ early three-pointer in the second period pushed Alabama’s lead to 63-47, forcing the Cougars into a timeout. The deep-shooting Crimson Tide continued to build their lead with each successful three-pointer.
Alabama’s previous three-point record was 23, set against LSU in 2021. John Petty Jr. had previously hit 10 three-pointers in a game twice, including a performance against Samford in 2019.
Key Takeaways:
Alabama’s victory continued the Southeastern Conference’s strong showing in the tournament, as the Crimson Tide secured their third straight Sweet 16 appearance. In addition to Sears, Aden Holloway knocked down six three-pointers, and Youngblood added five. As a team, Alabama shot 53% from the field and made 18 of 21 free throws.
BYU struggled to keep pace, especially from beyond the arc, as they missed 12 of their 13 three-point attempts in the first half.
“Nothing seemed to work for us,” BYU coach Kevin Young said. “We tried everything, but Alabama’s shooting was just too much.”
Despite a brief rally in the second half, as Demin’s three-pointer pulled BYU within 63-55, Alabama quickly responded. Holloway buried another three, keeping the Cougars at arm’s length.
“A wide-open three is almost like a layup for us,” Holloway said.
Looking Ahead:
With this impressive victory, Alabama now turns its attention to Duke, as they look to advance to only the second Final Four in program history.
