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Alabama basketball vs Charleston score, updates, highlights: Crimson Tide win 109-96 in March Madness

Austin Curtright, USA TODAY NETWORK
·11 min read

Early in the first half, Charleston appeared to be another 13 seed primed to push past a 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament. That was until Alabama basketball's offense took over.

The Crimson Tide broke a program record for points in a March Madness game against the Cougars on Friday, defeating Charleston 109-96 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Spokane, Washington. The previous record was 101, which was set in 1987.

REQUIRED READING: Mark Sears' mom: Meet Lameka Sears, the sparkling Alabama mom shooting free throws

Charleston held a 19-16 lead halfway through the first half before Alabama's offense exploded. The Crimson Tide shot 60% from the field, including 13-of-23 from 3-point range on the night.

Senior guard Mark Sears led the way with a game-high 30 points on 9-of-13 shooting, leading Alabama to a lead as big as 31 late in the second half.

The Cougars eventually were able to score 96 points, which shows the Crimson Tide's defense is certainly not the stoutest remaining in March Madness. However, Alabama should be able to hang with anyone should it stay hot on offense.

Now, the Crimson Tide shift their focus to their second-round matchup on Sunday, when they'll take on the winner of 5 seed Saint Mary's and 12 seed Grand Canyon.

Here are the updates and highlights from Alabama's first-round win:

REQUIRED READING: Mark Sears moves past Brandon Miller for No. 2 on Alabama basketball single-season scoring list

Alabama vs. Charleston live score updates in NCAA first round

Final score: Alabama 109, Charleston 96

9:25 p.m.: Alabama lost its large lead in garbage minutes but wins 109-96. Charleston scored 62 points in the second half.

9:25 p.m.: Kai Spears gets in on the action, making two free throws.

9:22 p.m.: Look at that. Senior walk-on Max Scharnowski gets in on the action, making a layup. It was his sixth point of the season.

9:14 p.m.: Alabama now holds the program record for most points scored in an NCAA Tournament game. The previous record was set at 101 in 1987.

9:10 p.m.: Alabama leads 101-77 at the under-4 timeout. Crimson Tide should cruise to a second-round matchup against the winner of Saint Mary's and Grand Canyon.

9:05 p.m.: Alabama hits 100 points on the 3-pointer by Sam Walters. Crimson Tide have now scored 100 points in a game 10 times this season, a new SEC record.

9:03 p.m.: Alabama is also just shy of setting a new SEC record (10) for 100-point games in a season.

9:01 p.m.: Alabama is closing in on 100 points. The Crimson Tide's single-game points record in the NCAA Tournament is 101, which is well within reach with seven minutes remaining.

8:56 p.m.: It feels like Alabama has scored almost every possession. It obviously hasn't but it is shooting a blistering 60.8% as a team.

8:53 p.m.: Mark Sears misses the 3-pointer, but Mohamed Wague secures the rebound and puts it back for two. Alabama leads 88-61 with under 10 minutes left.

8:45 p.m.: There has been four alley-oops in this game, with Charleston finally securing its own.

8:44 p.m.: Latrell Wrightsell Jr. can really shoot it. He makes another 3-pointer, his fifth of the night. Alabama leads 79-56.

8:43 p.m.: Mark Sears has been nearly unguardable so far, but his 3-point shot gets blocked by Charleston.

8:41 p.m.: There's Latrell Wrightsell Jr., who makes his fourth 3-pointer of the night. He's back from leaving the game in the first half with an apparent injury.

8:33 p.m.: Alabama having fun with it now. Mark Sears calls for the isolation before finding Jarin Stevenson in the corner for a 3-pointer. Crimson Tide lead 65-44 with 15:44 left in the game.

8:27 p.m.: Mark Sears is cooking. He hits a 3-pointer then instantly forces a steal and finishes with a layup on the other end. Sears is 8-of-10 shooting with 25 points now.

8:25 p.m.: Aaron Estrada just threw his third alley-oop of the game, as he forced a steal and threw another assist to Rylan Griffin for the dunk.

8:22 p.m.: Second half is underway, and Alabama starts 0-for-2 shooting.

8:03 p.m.: Halftime stats:

  • Field goals: Alabama 16 of 28 (57.1%), Charleston 14 of 42 (33.3%)

  • 3-point shooting: Alabama 7 of 13 (53.8%), Charleston 2 of 16 (12.5%)

  • Free throws: Alabama 12 of 18 (66.7%), Charleston 4 of 5 (80%)

  • Rebounds: Alabama 20, Charleston 23

  • Offensive rebounds: Alabama 4, Charleston 11

  • Total turnovers: Alabama 4, Charleston 6

REQUIRED READING: Why Alabama basketball coach Nate Oats visited Yale locker room after upset vs Auburn

First half: Alabama leads Charleston 51-34

8:01 p.m.: Alabama finishes the first half on a 16-2 run to take a 51-34 lead into the break.

8 p.m.: Latrell Wrightsell Jr., who left the game earlier in the first half and went to the locker room with an apparent injury, was shown back on Alabama's bench just before halftime.

7:58 p.m.: Alabama has really taken control of this game. Mark Sears gets the blow-by layup to make the score 51-34. Sears has a game-high 20 points.

7:56 p.m.: Sears has been really good so far at driving the lane. He gets downhill and draws the foul, making both of his free-throw attempts to extend Alabama's lead to 49-34 with under a minute left in the half.

7:53 p.m.: Alabama is turning Spokane into dunk city, as Aaron Estrada throws another alley-oop dunk, this time to Nick Pringle.

7:49 p.m.: Alabama starting to pull away, as it takes a 45-32 lead on the 3-pointer by Jarin Stevenson. Crimson Tide are a whopping 7 of 10 from 3-point range already.

7:45 p.m.: There's that Alabama offense. Crimson Tide go on a 7-0 run in 42 seconds after a layup and 3-pointer by Mark Sears and a fastbreak alley-oop dunk by Grant Nelson from Aaron Estrada. Just like that, Alabama leads 42-32 with three minutes to go in the half.

7:44 p.m.: Alabama allows another second-chance bucket, raising Charleston's second-chance points to 13 so far. Cougars outrebounding Alabama 19-12.

7:40 p.m.: Looks like it might just be a bloody nose, as Latrell Wrightsell Jr.'s nose was shown being plugged by the trainer in the tunnel. He has been having a strong night for Alabama.

7:39 p.m.: Latrell Wrightsell Jr. was just shown walking to the locker room with an Alabama trainer.

7:36 p.m.: Latrell Wrightsell Jr. is having a really strong half. Just made another 3-pointer, his third so far, to rise his points total to a game-high 11, tied with Mark Sears.

7:33 p.m.: Alabama leads 30-26 at the under-8 timeout.

7:32 p.m.: Nick Pringle turns it over for Alabama, which turns into a Charleston alley-oop dunk. Crimson Tide respond with a 3-pointer from Rylan Griffin right after. Both teams are trading shots.

7:30 p.m.: Nothing Alabama can do about that. Charleston guard Frankie Policelli just hit a deep, highly contested 3-pointer late in the shot clock. Mark Sears responds with a quick layup to extend Alabama's lead to 27-24 with eight minutes to go.

7:27 p.m.: truTV broadcast shows Mark Sears' mom, as Sears gives Alabama a 20-19 after his two free-throw attempts. The Tuscaloosa News' Nick Kelly wrote a story about Sears' mom, which can be found here.

7:25 p.m: Mouhamed Dioubate forces the steal and throws down an emphatic dunk in transition.

7:23 p.m.: Big 3-pointer from Mark Sears cuts Alabama's deficit to 19-16. Could be a nice momentum shot.

7:18 p.m.: Charleston is beating Alabama at its own game right now on the offensive end. Cougars have taken 18 shots compared to the Crimson Tide's 18.

7:16 p.m.: One important thing to note: Charleston led Alabama 12-10 at the first timeout, but Latrell Wrightsell's 3-pointer earlier in the half was changed from a two-point shot to three points to make the score actually 12-11.

7:15 p.m.: Charleston hits a 3-pointer to extend its lead to 15-11.

7:08 p.m.: Both teams playing at a really fast pace early, with both teams combining for 18 shots already. Crimson Tide tied with Charleston 8-8 a few minutes into the game.

6:36 p.m.: Alabama's game against Charleston was originally slated for a 6:35 p.m. tipoff but was delayed to 7:05 p.m. after the Auburn-Yale finish.

6:17 p.m.: Alabama coach Nate Oats was just videoed entering the Yale locker room, per Tuscaloosa News' Nick Kelly. Oats hugged Yale coach James Jones after it beat Auburn.

6:04 p.m.: Wowza. In the game before Alabama's in Spokane, Auburn is upset by 13 seed Yale 78-76. With Auburn and Florida's loss on Friday, the SEC is 1-5 in first-round games this tournament.

5:35 p.m.: Alabama is hoping to avoid being the latest SEC program to fall in the first round, as Tennessee is the only SEC team to advance so far. Auburn does, however, currently lead Yale 70-66 late in the second half. Florida is behind 92-79 to Colorado in the second half, meanwhile.

5:28 p.m.: Alabama will be without reserve guard Davin Cosby Jr., who broke his foot in practice before the NCAA Tournament.

What channel is Alabama vs. Charleston on today?

  • TV channel: truTV

  • Streaming: NCAA March Madness Live, Sling TV

Alabama-Charleston will air live on truTV on Friday, with streaming options on NCAA March Madness Live and Sling TV, which carries select NCAA Tournament games.

Alabama vs. Charleston start time

  • Time: 6:35 p.m. CT

  • Location: Spokane Veterans Memorial Stadium in Spokane, Washington

REQUIRED READING: Nick Pringle available for Alabama basketball vs Charleston, but one player isn't

Alabama vs. Charleston preview

  • Alabama: The Crimson Tide heads into the NCAA Tournament as losers of three of its last four, including a quarterfinals exit of the SEC Tournament after falling to Florida. Alabama boasts the nation's top offense, averaging a Division I-leading 90.8 points per game, led by senior guard Mark Sears' 21.1 points per game.

  • Charleston: Charleston heads into March Madness with 12 consecutive wins and is in its second consecutive NCAA Tournament under third-year coach Pat Kelsey. The Cougars are looking for their first win in the Big Dance since 1997, but certainly pose a first-round threat to Alabama.

Alabama-Charleston betting odds

Odds courtesy of BetMGM as of Friday

  • Spread: Alabama (-8.5)

  • Over/under: 172.5

  • Moneyline: Alabama -450 | Charleston +350

Alabama vs. Charleston prediction, game picks

Here's a prediction for the game from The Tuscaloosa News' Alabama beat reporter Nick Kelly:

Alabama 90, Charleston 75: So long as the Crimson Tide offense isn't cold from the field, Alabama will win this game. The Cougars' defense will struggle with the Crimson Tide's potent offense. And improved offense should improve the Alabama defense. But if the Crimson Tide doesn't get back on track offensively, Charleston could provide some problems.

Alabama vs. Charleston injury updates

This section will be updated.

Alabama vs. Charleston championship odds

Here are Alabama and Charleston's championships odds, per BetMGM

  • Alabama: +4000

  • Charleston: +100000

REQUIRED READING: Nate Oats, Alabama made clear commitment. What's next to win national championship? | Kelly

Alabama basketball schedule 2023-24

Here are the past five results for Alabama basketball. Find the Crimson Tide's full 2023-24 schedule here.

  • Wednesday, Feb. 28: Alabama 103, Ole Miss 88

  • Saturday, March 2: Tennessee 81, Alabama 74

  • Tuesday, March 5: Florida 105, Alabama 87

  • Saturday, March 9: Alabama 92, Arkansas 88 (OT)

  • Friday, March 15: Florida 102, Alabama 88

Charleston basketball schedule 2023-24

Here are the past five results for Charleston basketball. Find the Cougars' full 2023-24 schedule here.

  • Thursday, Feb. 29: Charleston 96, Campbell 73

  • Saturday, March 2: Charleston 87, Hofstra 76

  • Sunday, March 10: Charleston 83, Monmouth 59

  • Monday, March 11: Charleston 61, Towson 56

  • Tuesday, March 12: Charleston 82, Stony Brook 79 (OT)

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Alabama vs. Charleston highlights: Crimson Tide win 109-96 in March Madness