Alabama freshman Collin Sexton saved the day -- and maybe salvaged his team's season -- by going coast-to-coast in 4.4 seconds to finish off Texas A&M with a scoop down the lane as time expired on Thursday.
Here's the wild finish that sent the Crimson Tide into the quarterfinals with a 71-70 escape job.
COLLIN SEXTON COAST-TO-COAST IN 4.4 SECONDS FOR THE WIN pic.twitter.com/n9YIcvKymA
— Jordan Heck (@JordanHeckFF) March 8, 2018
Sexton's coast-to-coast venture wasn't merely an exclamation, but also an answer. With under 5 seconds remaining in the game, freshman T.J. Starks gave the Aggies a one-point lead by drilling a deep 3-pointer. But out of the timeout, Texas A&M couldn't stay in front of Sexton, a potential lottery pick, which allowed him to play the role of March hero.
Alabama entered the day teetering on the wrong side of the NCAA Tournament bubble, so avoiding a win against the Aggies absolutely keeps Avery Johnson's team in the hunt for an at-large bid. The Crimson Tide will get another crack at bolstering their resume on Friday when they face No. 1 seed Auburn in the quarterfinals round.