The Alabama Crimson Tide and head coach Nate Oats have advanced into the Round of 32 following their win against the 15-seed Robert Morris Colonials. After a hard-fought game that was much more tense than many fans would have expected, Oats breathed a sigh of relief at the final whistle, as the Tide triumphed 90-81.
Alabama Crimson Tide Take Care of Business in the Round of 64
Alabama has been a tremendous offensive team all season, particularly from the three-point line. They have tremendous depth, with several impact players on the bench, and use their excellent energy and size to break opponents on the glass.
On Friday, Alabama lost the rebounding battle, made only 6 three-pointers at a 28.6% clip, but used their bench excellence and ability to get to the basket to secure the victory over heavy underdogs Robert Morris.
Mouhamed Dioubate had 18 points off the bench, which trailed only leading scorer Mark Sears’ 22 points. Derrion Reid came off the bench and had 9 points and 4 boards in 11 minutes. Aiden Sherrell and Aiden Hollaway both had some positive moments in limited action.
Mar 8, 2025; Auburn, Alabama, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide guard Mark Sears (1) runs a play against the Auburn Tigers during the first half at Neville Arena. Mandatory Credit: John Reed-Imagn ImagesA few of the starters had unusual days. Star freshman Labaron Philon had a very strong game, with 8 assists and 0 turnovers, but only 1 point scored. Philon averages almost 11 per game. Conversely, center Clifford Omoruyi scored well above his 7.6 points per game average with 17 points on a perfect 8-8 shooting. The big man served as a big target in the pick-and-roll game, scoring all of his baskets right near the rim, including several thunderous dunks. Omoruyi added 4 rebounds, 3 steals, and 2 blocks to his impactful day down low.
Nate Oats Deployed Injured Star Grant Nelson
As Alabama remained in a tight game with the upstart Colonials, Oats sent in Grant Nelson, his hobbled starting forward. Nelson is dealing with a knee injury, but as the game continued on and Alabama was unable to create separation from Robert Morris, Nelson told his coach that he had to act.
Oats spoke about what Nelson said postgame.
“We were hoping not to play Grant, but I think it was a four-point game, and Grant, with about eight minutes to go, stood up and was like ‘Hey, put me in, we gotta go.'”
Nelson was correct in his assessment, as the Colonials were not going away. Every time Alabama threatened to open up the lead, big plays from Alvaro Folgueiras, DJ Smith, and especially Amarion Dickerson, brought Robert Morris back. The 15-seed had a second half lead for a brief moment and was only behind by one or two possessions until the end.
Although Nelson played only 7 minutes, his impact was felt quickly. The Tide turned it around and created enough distance between them and the Colonials to win the game comfortably in the final two minutes.
Alabama’s Next Challenge – the Saint Mary’s Gaels
In the Round of 32, the 2-seed Tide will battle the 7-seed Saint Mary’s Gaels. While Alabama is a run-and-gun team who love to scorch the scoring column, Randy Bennett’s team are the complete opposite. A slow, methodical, grind-it-out outfit, the Gaels love to control the pace, slow the game down, and let their talented Europeans, senior point guard Augustas Marciulionis and transfer forward Paulius Murauskas, dominate.
Oats will be tasked with getting his team in a position to play their way and not let the Gaels dictate the tempo of the game. While Bama will be favored, Saint Mary’s poses a sort of challenge that they have not faced yet, even in the gauntlet of the SEC, and this unfamiliarity creates an environment where anything can happen.
For More Great Basketball Content
Follow @HardwoodHeroics for more great content. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in the NBA and college basketball, click here!
