LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 28: Grant Nelson #2 of the Alabama Crimson Tide looks to shoot against Harrison Ingram #55 of the North Carolina Tar Heels during the Sweet Sixteen round of the 2024 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament held at Crypto.com Arena on March 28, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Ben Solomon/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
The first No. 1 seed has been eliminated in the 2024 men's NCAA tournament.
Top-seeded North Carolina fell 89-87 to No. 4 Alabama on Thursday, ending Hubert Davis' run in March Madness.
The Tar Heels didn't seem to be on the path to elimination in the first half after leading 54-46.
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But Alabama turned things around impressively in the second and outscored UNC 43-33.
Both teams had four starters each who put in shifts, but it was Alabama's group who triumphed in the end.
Grant Nelson led the Crimson Tide with a robust 24-point, 12-rebound double-double. He also added four blocks, one assist and one steal, shooting 6-for-9 overall, 2-for-2 from deep and 10-for-11 from the foul line.
Aaron Estrada and Rylan Griffen each added 19 points while Mark Sears scored 18.
Longtime Tar Heel Armando Bacot led his team with 19 points, 12 rebounds, two steals and a block on 8-for-18 shooting overall.
Cormac Ryan (17), RJ Davis (16) and Harrison Ingram (12) also added double-digit points. Ingram, in particular, also chipped in with nine rebounds, five assists, two steals and a block.
UNC made the March Madness final in 2022 as a No. 8 seed but lost to the No. 1-seeded Kansas Jayhawks 72-69. The Tar Heels did not qualify the following year and turned down an NIT invitation.
As for the Crimson Tide, it's the first time the program is going to the Elite Eight in 20 years. It's also their second such appearance in the men's tournament.
Alabama will now meet No. 6 Clemson, who upset No. 2 Arizona 77-72 earlier on Thursday, in the Elite Eight.
