Alabama breaks NCAA Tournament record for made three-pointers vs. BYU in Sweet 16

Thursday’s Sweet Sixteen game between Alabama and BYU was set up to be quite the offensive explosion. Both teams are known for their fast pace and high-flying shooting. Alabama took it to a different level though, becoming nearly unguarable from the three-point line.

A total of 22 shots have now fallen from deep, a new NCAA Tournament record. This comes with 7:41 remaining in the second half as the Crimson Tide are looking to book a spot in the Elite Eight. Pure explosion from Nate Oats‘ bunch.

Surprisingly, Loyola Marymount previously held the record after making 21 in 1990 against the Michigan Wolverines. Three and a half decades passed for somebody to top the mark despite the three-point shot becoming a whole lot more popular.

Five different players have connected from behind the arc. Mark Sears is leading the way, making an incredible nine of 14 shots. Aden Holloway is right there with six makes. Labaron Philon, Chris Youngblood, and Aiden Sherrell have joined the party, too.

The scary part — there is plenty of time to add to their total. BYU is not going to go down without a fight, capable of seeing a few shots go through the hoop themselves. While Alabama appears to be in full control heading into the under-eight media timeout, closing the game out is still a must.

More on Alabama, historic shooting night from three

“Live by the three, die by the three” is usually a common term used by people when discussing Alabama. Most seasons, a lot of three-point attempts are going up. Whether or not they go in would determine how the result turned out.

But this year has been different for Alabama. Heading into Thursday night, their 30 three-point attempts per game ranked top-15 in the country but the two-point percentage is what stands out. Only three teams are shooting better inside the arc than the Crimson Tide.

Points in the paint are usually a must to win games. Alabama seemingly threw that strategy out the window against BYU, deciding to let the shots fly.

Assuming nothing changes before the final buzzer, Arizona or Duke will be waiting on the other end Saturday night. Whichever head coach is in the game will have a nightmare matchup heading their way, with an elite team inside the paint fresh off a historic shooting night. All with a spot in the Final Four on the line.