NEWARK, N.J. – No team in NCAA Tournament history has scored as many three-pointers in a single game as the University of Alabama did last night.
The Crimson Tide shattered the 35-year-old record of 21 with 26 buckets made from beyond the arc.
The sheer amount of shots made from downtown were too much to handle for BYU, as the Crimson Tide rolled over the Cougars 113-88.
Alabama senior guard Mark Sears became the first player in Tournament history to hit 10 three-pointers and eight assists in a single game.
He finished the game with a dominant 34 points, shooting 10-16 from three. Sears added three rebounds and eight assists.
He said that during the game, he was in the zone.
“Once I [saw] the first three fall in, I felt that the basket was as big as an ocean,” Sears said. “And every time I shot I felt like it was going in. Just lost myself in the game and just let everything else happen.”
It was a stark turnaround from Sears who had previously had a career-low field goal percentage and three-point percentage throughout the 2025 postseason. He said that he never lost faith in his abilities because of the support he received from teammates and coaches.
“Even when I was shooting 14 percent, my confidence was still high,” Sears said. “I never stopped believing in myself, and my teammates kept encouraging me to keep shooting it, keep shooting it, keep shooting it. That just shows trust in them that even though when I’m not at my highest peak, they still trust me and want me to shoot the ball. So that’s a big shoutout to them. They went under the ball screen and I was able to get my rhythm early.”
Alabama sophomore guard Aden Holloway also dominated from downtown. He shot 6-13 from three-point range and scored all but one of his field goals from long distance. He finished with 23 points.
Holloway said that the Tide were able to find him with open looks and that he took over from there.
“My teammates found me, and I just tried to not focus on shot-making and focus on everything else,” Holloway said “And shot-making ended up working out a little bit. Just shoutout to my teammates for finding me all game.”
As a team, Alabama posted a 49% three-point field goal percentage, unleashing 51, also an NCAA Tournament record.
The Crimson Tide broke a long-standing record. Loyola Marymount hit 21 three-pointers against Michigan in its second-round game against Michigan on March 18, 1990.
Alabama head coach Nate Oats was in high school when that game was played. He said that team had an impact on how he approaches basketball in the modern day.
“I loved watching them play,” Oats said. “That was my freshman year in high school that year. I remember Bo Kimble shooting left hand free throws in honor of Hank. I loved watching them play. They got up-and-down. Maybe part of the reason we coach the way we coach. It’s a little more fun that way.”
The Tide will advance to the Elite Eight on Saturday and will take on No. 1 seeded Duke University. Oats said that he he’s happy to be back in the Elite Eight once again.
“So proud of our guys, Oats said. “We’re in the Elite Eight for the third time in school history and back to back. Sears has been in the middle of it. These two guys came to play with him, and they’re an unbelievable backcourt together.”
