2024 March Madness Tournament Sweet Sixteen West Region Recap
On Thursday night, four teams that hail from the West Region played with the hopes of two winners fighting it out for a chance to play in the Elite Eight round. During these two games, the two lower seeds took the win, which sets up an interesting and compelling Elite Eight matchup. Which of the two teams remaining from the West Region will make it to the Final Four? Let’s check out what happened during the West Region’s Sweet Sixteen round.
#6 Clemson Tigers vs. #2 Arizona Wildcats
By the looks of just the numbers, you would have thought the Arizona Wildcats would have had a clear advantage in this one. They had more rebounds, steals, and blocks while committing one less turnover than the Clemson Tigers. However, the Wildcats shot the ball horrendously. They shot 37 percent from the floor, and 17 percent from beyond the arc going five for 28. By the end of the first half, Clemson had an eight-point lead. Although Arizona dropped 41 points in the second half and outscored the Tigers 41-38 it was not enough to get the much-needed win. This is the second time in Clemson’s history appearing in the Elite Eight, the last time they did so was back in 1980. Clemson guard Chase Hunter recorded 18 points, seven rebounds, and five assists, while forward PJ Hall had 17 points and eight rebounds. For the Wildcats, Jaden Bradley had 18 points off the bench during the loss.
#4 Alabama Crimson Tide vs. #1 North Carolina Tar Heels
These two teams played an extremely competitive Sweet Sixteen matchup. North Carolina ended up taking an eight-point 54-46 lead going into the locker room. Alabama would fight their way back during the second half. The Crimson Tide outscored the Tar Heels 43-33 in the second half and picked up a wild 89-87 win to advance North Carolina played a great game, but Alabama shot the ball better at the end of the day as they shot 48 percent from the field compared to the Tar Heels 39 percent. Also, Alabama hit 42 percent of their shots from deep, while North Carolina only knocked down 38 percent of their three-point attempts. This is also the Crimson Tide’s second school appearance in the Elite Eight as the last time they made it back in 2004. Crimson Tide forward Grant Nelson put up a double-double with 24 points and 12 rebounds. Both Aaron Estrada and Rylan Griffen scored 19 points apiece, while Mark Sears had 18 points in the win. Tar Heels forward Armando Bacot put up a 19-point, 12-rebound double-double in North Carolina’s heartbreaking loss.
