Alabama Basketball Dominates Glass in NCAA Tournament Win

Crimson Tide nearly double Red Raiders in rebounding for Round of 32 victory.

Mar. 23, 2026 at 5:37am

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The Alabama Crimson Tide dominated the glass on both ends of the floor, outrebounding Texas Tech 47-35, to cruise to a 90-65 victory in the NCAA Tournament Round of 32. Alabama's guards led the rebounding effort, with Houston Mallette, Labaron Philon, Latrell Wrightsell, Amari Allen, and Jalil Bethea combining for 26 boards. The Crimson Tide's rebounding advantage allowed them to generate eight more field goal attempts and knock down 11 first-half 3-pointers to take a 24-point lead into halftime.

Why it matters

Rebounding has been a point of emphasis for Alabama all season, and their dominance on the glass in this game was a key factor in their convincing victory. The Crimson Tide's ability to control the boards, especially on the offensive end, allowed them to create more scoring opportunities and limit Texas Tech's second-chance points.

The details

Alabama's guards were instrumental in the team's rebounding effort, with Mallette, Philon, Wrightsell, Allen, and Bethea combining for 26 rebounds. The Crimson Tide's rebounding advantage in the first half, including 12 offensive boards, allowed them to generate eight more field goal attempts and knock down 11 3-pointers to take a 24-point lead into halftime. Head coach Nate Oats praised his team's effort, particularly Mallette's, and emphasized the importance of rebounding as Alabama prepares to face top-seeded Michigan in the Sweet 16.

  • The Crimson Tide took a 30-16 rebounding edge into the halftime locker room.

The players

Nate Oats

The head coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide basketball team, who has emphasized the importance of rebounding throughout the season.

Houston Mallette

A senior guard for the Alabama Crimson Tide, who scored 15 points off the bench and had 8 rebounds in the win.

Labaron Philon

A guard for the Alabama Crimson Tide, who had 6 rebounds in the game.

Latrell Wrightsell

A guard for the Alabama Crimson Tide, who had 4 rebounds in the game.

Amari Allen

A guard for the Alabama Crimson Tide, who had 4 rebounds in the game.

Jalil Bethea

A guard for the Alabama Crimson Tide, who had 4 rebounds in the game.

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What they’re saying

“I mean, we play this thing called the possession game. It's one of our main things. Coach Oats probably talked about it. We just want to get more possessions, because we've got the shot geography figured out. If we get more possessions than the other team, we'll be in pretty good shape to win that game. So with that being said, just being out there and just playing with reckless abandon. I tell these guys all the time, I play basketball the way I live my life, and that's with passion, and I think these guys do as well. We just came out there and competed to the best of our ability. And rebounding is a big thing, especially in our next game. I know that will be a huge point of emphasis.”

— Houston Mallette, Senior Guard

“When LaBaron rebounds, our offensive numbers are ridiculously high. Because he's pushing it, they can't stop him. I think it's when they get -- Wrightsell has four, Baron has six, all in the first half when we started to build the leadup. Houston has eight, plays super hard, five O boards. His effort, I love that kid, and I love this whole team. We've gone through all kinds of adversity. You heard Houston. He loves the guys. Coaches love our team. I love coaching these guys. But man, he plays hard, and he deserves to have a night like this, 5-of-7 from 3. I just kept telling him, 'You're about the right stuff. You worked too hard, you played too hard for this stuff not to get rewarded. It's going to get rewarded.' And it was rewarded tonight.”

— Nate Oats, Head Coach

What’s next

Alabama will face 1-seed Michigan in the Sweet 16 in Chicago, where rebounding will once again be a major focus as the Maize and Blue are a top-10 team in the country in rebounding margin.

The takeaway

Alabama's dominant rebounding performance, led by their guards, was a key factor in their convincing NCAA Tournament victory over Texas Tech. The Crimson Tide's ability to control the glass on both ends of the floor allowed them to generate more scoring opportunities and limit the Red Raiders' second-chance points, showcasing the team's commitment to Nate Oats' emphasis on rebounding throughout the season.