Alabama Crimson Tide on SI writers Hunter De Siver and Katie Windham from the court at the Prudential Center in Newark / BamaCentral

NEWARK, N.J.–– Alabama basketball was one win away from a return trip to the Final Four, but the Crimson Tide came up against an unstoppable force in 1-seed Duke.

The Blue Devils jumped out to an early lead, and Alabama was never able to fully recover as Duke led all 40 minutes and beat the Crimson Tide, 85-65.

Duke dominated in the paint, won the rebounding battle and made over 53 percent of its shots from the floor while the Crimson Tide struggled around the rim and from beyond the arc.

Mark Sears, Alabama’s leading scorer on the season, was held to just six points on a 2 of 12 shooting night, making just one three pointer. Despite the ending, Sears will go down as an Alabama legend and one of the best players in program history.

While the season ends in disappointment in the Elite Eight, Alabama has a bright future under Nate Oats and had a lot of historic and exciting moments this season.

Watch the above video as Alabama Crimson Tide on SI writers Hunter De Siver and Katie Windham share their final thoughts and takeaways from the Prudential Center in Newark after the Crimson Tide’s 2025 season ended with a loss to Duke in the Elite Eight.

We thank you for following BamaCentral’s coverage all season! It has been a fun team to cover, and we appreciate your readership and viewership. Let us know in the comments on social media what you will remember most about the 2024-2025 Alabama team.