Duke steamrolls Alabama 85 to 65

March 29, 2025 – Newark, NJ. – The University of Alabama men's basketball team had their season come to an end on Saturday night when they faced the number one seeded Duke Blue Devils, Duke cruised to an 85 to 65 win over the Tide,

Duke's Freshman phenom Cooper Flagg was a mismatch for Alabama. He did not have a as great a game as he had in Thursday's matchup with Arizona earlier; but his early 3 – point shots made set a tone that Alabama did not have a player who could match up with the six foot nine All American who is probably going to be the first player taken in the 2025 NBA draft – and he will likely have a couple of teammates taken in that NBA draft lottery. Flagg only had 16 points, but Duke did not need more.

Duke had too much size and physicality for Alabama. Alabama struggled to score in the paint. Duke outscored Alabama down low 40 to 28. Alabama set a record for three-point shots in their Thursday night game against BYU. Duke was paying attention to the scouting report and took that away as well. Alabama was just 8 of 32 from the three-point line.

Alabama Senior Guard Mark Sears – who scored 34 points on Thursday (including 10 threes – shot just 2 of 12 from the field facing the much bigger more physical guards from Duke. The six foot one Sears finished with just six points in the game.

This was the first time that Alabama has played in two consecutive Elite Eight games in the history of the program; but like last year they failed to advance to the Final Four. Alabama has gone to the Final Four just once in the history of the program – 2021.

The number two seeded Alabama team is coached by Nate Oats.

"We shot 35 (percent from the field) they shot 54 (percent)," Oats said afterwards.

Alabama has been very reliant on the three point shot this year. That strength became a weakness on Saturday night when those shots were not falling.

"We have to figure out how to win when we don't shoot it well," Oats said.

This is the only the third time in the history of Alabama basketball that they even played in the Elite Eight so the 2024/2025 team will be remembered as one of the best teams in program history; but with those three elite appearances coming in the last five years many Tide fans are going to be wondering how the program can make that next step to where Final Four appearances are achievable goals. Getting in a bracket with the number one team in the country was always going to be a challenge for the Tide.