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[elizabama]

NCAA MEN'S TOURNEY ACTION ON THURSDAY
SEC
Alabama 80, Syracuse 71 at PHOENIX: First Stanford, now Syracuse.
In a five-day span, Alabama has conquered the region's top seed and the defending national champion in its remarkable rise from curiosity to contender. Next up is No. 2 seed Connecticut in Saturday's finals of the Phoenix Regional.
After its convincing victory over defending champ Syracuse on Thursday night, nobody should count out the eighth-seeded Crimson Tide anymore.
"They have been so determined all through this tournament and the last month of the season," Alabama coach Mark Gottfried said. "It's a big win for us, we're excited about it, but I think we are still a hungry group that is ready to play this next game."
The Crimson Tide has six AP national championships in football, but with its first appearance in a regional final in school history, 'Bama is a basketball school now.
"We weren't through playing," the Tide's Earnest Shelton said. "We wanted to do something that has never been done at this school before. Win lose or draw, we were going to leave it all on the line."
Shelton and Kennedy Winston put Alabama (20-12) ahead from the outside in the first half, then Chuck Davis got rough inside in the second.
"When I came to Alabama, I wasn't bashful about saying that we wanted to play for a national championship," Gottfried said. "We've taken a step, and hopefully we're not done."
Shelton scored 22 points and Winston 19 for Alabama, but the difference was Davis, who scored 17 of his 19 in the second half as the Tide pulled away. Alabama sank 11 of 12 free throws over the final 8:10 and were 19-of-23 at the line overall.



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"Alabama players don't win Heisman Trophies, Bama Teams win national championships"
(Paul "Bear" Bryant)

 

[elizabama]

AROUND THE SOUTH

SEC
ALABAMA: Playing its best game of the season, Alabama powered to the first NCAA regional final in school history by beating defending national champion Syracuse. Mark Gottfried was denied a trip to the round of eight in three trips as a player for the Crimson Tide but in his third attempt as head coach at Alabama he guided the Tide to new ground. "I told our team, 'I'm 40 years old and there's nothing I can do about it now,'" Gottfried said. "You've got an opportunity."
Among the biggest keys for Alabama: Antoine Pettway's hard-nosed defense on Syracuse long-baller Gerry McNamara. McNamara, who dropped 43 points on BYU in the first round, had four points at the half and did not hit a 3-pointer until the 10:34 mark of the second half. "I didn't want him to come out and get 43 on me," Pettway said. "I just tried to make every shot tough." McNamara finally got hot, hitting a series of treys and floaters, and finishing with 24 points, but it was too late.
Pettway had a superb line: 10 points, nine assists, two blocked shots and no turnovers. The Tide's precision passing. Not content to just fire away from 3-point range, Alabama sent Earnest Winston and Evan Brock to the free-throw line to penetrate the zone. From there, both players found open cutters. The Tide had a season-high 22 assists on its 26 baskets.
Alabama's free-throw shooting. Just as it did in last Saturday's upset of No. 1-ranked Stanford, the Tide put Syracuse away with sizzling foul shooting down the stretch. Alabama made 15 of 17 free throws in the second half, all six of its tries in the final 3:29, and 19 of 23 (.826) in the game. The Tide's assault of the Orangemen's legendary zone. "I thought it would be a lot more aggressive," said Winston, who hit 6 of 12 shots and added five assists and three steals. "You really can't say enough about how they attacked our defense," McNamara said. "They just shot it so well, it made it difficult to beat them."
Alabama's second-half defense of Hakim Warrick. He was sensational in the first half with 15 points but tallied just six in the second half. The Tide fronted the long-limbed 6-8 forward and double-teamed him in the second half as Davis took command of the paint.


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"Alabama players don't win Heisman Trophies, Bama Teams win national championships"
(Paul "Bear" Bryant)

 

[crimsonman]

And it WAS great to see those guys hitting those free throws! Hitting free throws is many times the deciding factor in winning or losing. They did a great job! I do believe that UConn has its hands full tomorrow night!

Roll Tide!