Wrightsell scores 24 to help Alabama rout Texas Tech 90-65 to reach Sweet 16 for 4th straight season
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Latrell Wrightsell, Jr. scored 24 points and fourth-seeded Alabama earned a fourth straight trip to the Sweet 16 with a 90-65 second-round rout of No.
5 seed Texas Tech in the NCAA Tournament on Sunday night. The Crimson Tide (25-9), who also got 15 points from Houston Mallette, advanced to the Midwest Region semifinals against top-seeded Michigan in Chicago next Friday night. They built an early double-digit lead against the Red Raiders (23-11), exploiting a size advantage inside to dominate the backboards and making 11 3-pointers on the way to leading 49-25 at halftime.
Texas Tech, which reached the Elite Eight a year ago, didn't get closer than 18 the rest of the way. Alabama, two years removed from a Final Four run, led by 34 in the second half. “This is the fourth straight Sweet 16 we've been to, these guys know what it takes,” Alabama coach Nat Oats said.
“Right out of the gate ... we were ready to play. ” Both teams entered March Madness short-handed.
The Red Raiders were playing without injured All-American JT Toppin, who tore the ACL in his right knee last month, and Alabama played without star guard Aden Holloway, who was suspended indefinitely after being arrested on a felony drug charge last week. Texas Tech, which had a school-record four wins over top-10-teams this season, struggled down the stretch after losing Toppin and simply had no answers for Alabama's suffocating defense or the Crimson Tide' speed. The Red Raiders shot just 34.