Alabama basketball has a chance to secure a second consecutive Final Four appearance

Alabama basketball has a chance to secure a second consecutive Final Four appearance, 

but to get there, they must defeat the No. 1 seed in their region: Duke.

The Crimson Tide will face off against the Blue Devils Saturday in the Elite Eight for a spot in the Final Four in San Antonio. Alabama advanced to this stage by defeating BYU in the Sweet 16, setting a new NCAA Tournament record for the most three-pointers made in a single game.

Duke has powered through the tournament, led by freshman sensation Cooper Flagg, who is projected as the potential No. 1 pick in the upcoming NBA Draft. The Blue Devils earned their spot in the Elite Eight by overcoming Arizona in the Sweet 16.

The Elite Eight game will tip off at 7:49 p.m. CT in Newark and will be broadcast on TBS and TruTV.

Follow along for live updates throughout the game.

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2nd Half

15:38 — Mark Sears drains his first three-pointer of the game. Duke leads 52-45 at the first media timeout of the second half.

20:00 — The second half is underway.

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1st Half

Halftime — Grant Nelson scores a layup as time expires, trimming Duke's lead to 46-37 at the break. Alabama will need to improve offensively in the second half after shooting 14-of-35 in the first. Nelson and Aiden Sherrell lead the Tide in scoring with six points each, and Nelson also has a team-high five rebounds.

2:42 — Alabama trails 40-31. Duke has shot 55% from the field and is 5-for-9 from beyond the arc.

4:33 — Duke calls a timeout after Alabama cuts the deficit to single digits. The Blue Devils still lead 37-29. Alabama has made their last three shots from the field.

6:46 — Alabama head coach Nate Oats takes a timeout with the Tide trailing 35-22. Alabama has made just one of its last nine attempts from the field.

7:57 — Duke leads 30-22. Alabama has struggled offensively, making just 7 of 20 field goals. After his big performance against BYU, Mark Sears is 0-for-2 with three turnovers.

11:17 — Alabama is down 23-17. The Crimson Tide is struggling defensively against Duke, who is averaging 1.438 points per possession so far.

15:53 — Duke takes an early 13-5 lead at the first media timeout. The Blue Devils are shooting 63% from the field, and Alabama has already turned the ball over three times.

20:00 — Duke wins the tip, and the game is underway.

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Pregame

Starters for Alabama: Labaron Philon, Mark Sears, Chris Youngblood, Grant Nelson, Cliff Omoruyi.
Starters for Duke: Tyrese Proctor, Kon Knueppel, Sion James, Cooper Flagg, Khaman Maluach.

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See more from AL.com's Crimson Tide beat writers:

• Alabama Basketball Assistant Expected to be Hired at Arkansas State

• Alabama Has Significant Advantage Over Duke in These 2 Stats

• Who Will Guard Cooper Flagg? How Alabama is Preparing for the Duke Superstar

• Can Alabama Beat Duke? Nate Oats Reveals the Key to the Upset

• Alabama Basketball Rewards Star Assistant Coach with Hefty Raise