Alabama Basketball falls to Oregon in the Players Era Festival Championship

No. 13 Alabama men’s basketball team fell to Oregon in an 83-81 loss to Oregon in the inaugural Players Era Festival Championship on Saturday night.

This NIL event in Las Vegas is the first of its kind as the winning team, Oregon, will receive $1.5 million in prize money. Alabama will take home $1.25 million.

Alabama reached the first-place game after defeating No. 6 Houston in an 85-80 overtime thriller and emerging victorious in a narrow 95-90 battle against Rutgers. Oregon, on the other hand, defeated No. 20 Texas A&M and San Diego State by 10 points each, helping the Ducks advance to the final.

But like recent Alabama games, and unlike Oregon’s Saturday night, this must-see event went right down to the wire.

The Crimson Tide shot an efficient 14-of-30 from the field in the first half, including 6-of-18 from behind the arc. Guards Labaron Philon and Latrell Wrightsell Jr. were the top scorers with 11 and 10, respectively, with each missing just one shot.

However, Wrightsell suffered a non-contact lower leg injury early in the second half and was unable to leave the pitch despite assistance from trainers. He did not return to the game.

Oregon was able to finish the first half tied by 39 points against Alabama as the team trailed by nine points on turnovers. The Crimson Tide recorded nine turnovers in the opening period, which has been difficult for Alabama of late.

Wrightsell’s injury early in the second half appeared to put a damper on the Crimson Tide, as Oregon defended multiple leads of about eight points. When one impact player goes down, another has to step up, and forward Jarin Stevenson was crucial in keeping Alabama in the game as he hit all three of his shots from behind the arc midway through the second half. Guard Aden Holloway also helped lift the Tide’s spirits in that short period of time with a make from deep and a bucket inside.

And so what was once a 60:52 deficit turned into a 67:62 lead for Alabama. From then on, it was a back and forth battle between two programs desperate to become the Players Era Festival’s first winner.

Preseason All-American point guard Mark Sears scored a great two-pointer with less than five minutes left to break the tie – which would provide huge momentum – but the Ducks just wouldn’t let go. This was due in part to some Alabama turnovers, which faded in the second half compared to the first, but still proved to be a factor.

Speaking of turnovers, Alabama forward Grant Nelson gave away a goal at 75 with 1:55 left in regulation, but after a goalkeeper review, it was confirmed that Stevenson did not record a chase-down block in time, so the broadcast ” “shocked”. it wasn’t knocked over.

Now the lead is 77-75, Oregon got the ball back and the Ducks’ Kee Barthelemy, who scored a team-high 22 points, put Oregon ahead by four points with less than a minute left and by six points with 30 seconds left two free throws in the lead.

However, it was Alabama’s turn to stay in the game as a Holloway three-pointer and an inbounds steal put Sears at the line. Sears made one and missed the second, but Alabama standout Mouhamed Dioubate grabbed the rebound after a missed free throw, was fouled and then shot at the charity stripe, tying the game.

Oregon’s Nate Bittle nailed a put-back dunk with less than five seconds left to regain the lead and go up by two. Sears drove inside and found Nelson, who put the ball up at the buzzer but released it too late, causing a no-basket to end the game.

Alabama slips to a record of 6-2 while Oregon improves its undefeated start to 8-0.