Alabama won an instant-classic over North Carolina to advance to the Elite Eight on Thursday night, 89-87.

Grant Nelson led the way with 24 points, 12 rebounds and several key defensive plays in the game’s final minutes. Mark Sears, Rylan Griffen and Aaron Estrada also had 18+ point performances in the win.

For Carolina, it’s a devastating end to a season — and a career for Armando Bacot. UNC’s all-time leading rebounder finished his final collegiate game with 19 points, 12 rebounds, a block and 21 steals.

Here are 3 takeaways from Alabama’s massive win over UNC:

Alabama clinched the win in a thrilling final stretch

Alabama took a 5-point lead in crunch time after a Grant Nelson 3-pointer found the bottom of the net. After a Hubert Davis timeout, though, UNC responded accordingly. The Tar Heels rattled off an 8-0 run of their own to take a 3-point edge.

Then, Alabama took over for good. The Tide got a bucket, a stop and a crucial and-one by Nelson to take a 2-point lead. A shot-clock violation by Carolina on its ensuing possession gave Alabama the ball and a 2-point lead with under 10 seconds remaining.

From there, all Alabama had to do was make its free throws. A blocked shot by Nelson on a full-court heave by Harrison Ingram meant there would be no doubt about the outcome.

A tale of 2 halves for Alabama’s defense

Carolina’s offense in the first half was humming. The Tar Heels took full advantage of an Alabama defense that came into this game ranked 101st nationally in defensive efficiency in KenPom, scoring 54 points on 38 shots before the break. That offensive outburst gave UNC a 8-point lead going into the half.

The second half was a completely different story. Carolina’s offense floundered almost from the jump in the second half as it made just 10-of-40 field goal attempts after the break. UNC did do well at the foul line, which meant it was able to scrounge together 33 points in the second half. But it wasn’t enough as the Tide were able to get enough stops in crunch time to secure the comeback win.

The result was one of Alabama’s better defensive performances of the season, especially when considering the strength of UNC’s offense. Carolina had the nation’s No. 16-ranked offense entering this game, per KenPom’s rankings.

Looking ahead to the Elite Eight

With the win, Alabama has advanced to the Elite Eight to face Clemson. The Tide played Clemson earlier this season in Tuscaloosa and lost 85-77.

There will be history on the line for both teams. Neither Clemson nor Alabama has ever advanced to the Final Four in their respective histories. This will also be just the second time for each program to appear in the Elite Eight (1980 for Clemson, 2004 for Alabama).

These programs, known much more for their football than basketball, will meet with a Final Four spot on the line at 8:49 p.m. ET on Saturday night. Bettors who want in on the action can wager on this game using one of Saturday Down South’s recommended mobile betting apps. Despite the loss to Clemson earlier this season, Alabama will likely be a slight favorite over the Tigers on Saturday night.