Charleston Men's Basketball faced off against No.4 seed Alabama in the first round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament. Alabama took the floor for the first time following their first round loss in the SEC Tournament and was able to end Charleston's 12-game win streak.

• Subscribe to FloHoops to watch more Men's and Women's basketball
• Check out the FloHoops schedule to see all basketball games streaming on FloHoops
• CBI Tournament 2024 Bracket, Schedule And How To Watch

This was Charleston's second straight NCAA Tournament appearance in school history and were searching for their first NCAA Tournament Win since 1997. Alabama entered the big dance this year following their best season ever in 2023 when Brandon Miller ran the show prior to entering the NBA Draft. 

Alabama defeated Charleston 109-96 to advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Here's what happened in the game. 

Alabama vs. Charleston Recap

No.4 Alabama takes down No.13 Charleston 109-96 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.  After Charleston came out strong, the Crimson Tide went on a 10-0 run in the first half and never looked back. 

Mark Sears dominated the game for Alabama, finishing with 30 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assist. Wrightsell Jr. trailed behind him contributing 17 points and shooting 5-6 from 3-point FG.

All players who checked in for Alabama scored tonight, 

Charleston struggled shooting the ball tonight finishing shooting 41% from the field and 30% from 3-point FG. Despite Charleston pacing with other categories such as defensive rebounds, turnovers, and free throws made.. the Cougars could not overcome their shooting struggles. 

Burnham led the way for Charleston finishing with 19 points on 6-11 FG shooting followed by Policelli with 15 points and shot 3-9 from 3-point FG. 

Reyne Smith, the teams leading scorer, finished with 13 points and 3-8 from 3-point FG. 

This marks the second year the Cougars have failed to get over the first round hurdle in the NCAA Tournament. 

Who Does Alabama Play Next in The NCAA Tournament?

Alabama awaits the winner of No.5 Saint Marys vs. No.12 Grand Canyon to decide their opponent on March 24. 

Alabama Basketball Star Mark Sears

Mark Sears has 29 points on the night leading the Tide with 7 minutes remaining to play. Sears performance puts him him past NBA Star, Brandon Miller, and puts him at No.2 for points scored in a single season. 

Certified Bucket ?

Mark Sears moves to No. 2 for most points scored in a single season by an Alabama player with 701 points, passing Brandon Miller. pic.twitter.com/zt8AY52kg8

— Alabama Men’s Basketball (@AlabamaMBB) March 23, 2024

Charleston Basketball Star Reyne Smith

Smith hits his first 3-pointer of the game with 13 minutes remaining, he is shooting 2-9 from the field and 1-6 from 3-point FG. Smith was named MVP in Charleston's CAA Tournament Championship game, over their last five games he is averaging 18 points per game.

College of Charleston Location

This is the first time these two teams have faced off in the NCAA Tournament, and despite Charleston making consecutive trips to the Tournament they remain a new face to many.

Charleston Basketball is a Mid-Major D1 program located in Charleston, South Carolina and is apart of the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA). 

Alabama Basketball Score

Alabama takes their largest lead of the night 60-40 vs. Charleston with 17 minutes left to play in the second half.

Alabama Basketball First Half Stats

Alabama goes up 51-34 at halftime vs. Charleston after a 12-2 run. The Crimson Tide are shooting 55% from the field and 53% from 3-point-FG. Alabama averages 90 points per game and are on pace while holding charleston to 34 points. 

Senior Guard, Mark Sears has been leading the charge finishing the first half with 20 points while shooting,  6-8 FG, 2-3 3-point FG, and 6-6 FT. Sears is the leading scorer for Alabama this season averaging 21 points per game. 

Aaron Estrada has struggled in the first half shooting 0-5 from the filed and 0-2 from 3-point FG. Estrada is the second leading scorer behind Sears, and will help add to Bama's lead if he finds his rhythm in the second half. 

Charleston Basketball First Half Stats

Charleston is known for their 3-point shooting but have struggled early in the first half. As a team the cougars are shooting 2-15 from 3-point FG and 42% from the field. The Cougars have attacked aggressively however have only earned two trips to the charity stripe opposed to Alabama's 14 free throw attempts. 

Policelli leads Charleston with 8 points including the teams only 3-pointers with two minutes remaining in the first half. Reyne Smith, the teams leading scorer, has 4 points on 1-6 FG shooting.

Alabama Takes the Lead

Alabama goes on a 10-0 run to take the lead over Charleston 25-21 halfway through the 1st half. Alabama is now shooting 3/6 from 3-point FG opposed to Charleston's 2-9. Mark Sears leads all scorers with 11 points. 

SEC Teams in NCAA Tournament

SEC teams are currently 1-5 in the NCAA Tournament, with all teams loosing to lower seeds. Out of eight teams so far only Tennessee has won their first round match-up. 

Alabama and Texas A&M are the last SEC teams playing today in the first round. 

College of Charleston basketball score

Charleston opens the game with a 12-10 lead over Alabama. The Cougars are setting the tempo early in the game and are shooting 6-12 FG with 14 minutes remaining in the first half.  

How to Watch Charleston vs. Alabama in NCAA Tournament

Charleston vs. Alabama will be broadcast on truTV. The game can also be streamed on the March Madness Live app.

Charleston Men's Basketball Standings

Charleston finished first in the CAA prior to going on to win their second straight CAA Tournament Championship. The Cougars enter the tournament 27-7 with a 12 game winning streak, the second longest active streak in the country.

Charleston is in search of their first NCAA Tournament win since 1997. 

???’? ????? ??? ??? ??????? ??

The thirteen-seeded College of Charleston is looking for their 13th-straight win as they take on Alabama in the First Round of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. #MarchMadness #CAAhoops pic.twitter.com/vPIKCnO7I1

— FloHoops (@FloHoops) March 20, 2024

Alabama Men's Basketball Standings

Alabama finished fifth in the SEC this year with a record of 13-5 prior to the SEC Tournament and are 21-11 on the season. In the first round of the SEC Tournament, Alabama lost 102-88 against Florida.

Last year, Alabama had its best season ever finishing 31-6 and earning the No.1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. 

Charleston vs. Alabama Basketball Predictions

Alabama comes into the tournament with a 21-11 record and a recent loss against Florida in the first round of the 2024 SEC Tournament, this will be their first game since March 15. Charleston is Coming off their second straight CAA Tournament Championship and have a 27-7 record heading into this game.  

I have Alabama winning this game, however i see the final result being much closer than many expect. Both these teams are known for their similar five-out offense styles and both teams also have the highest scoring offense in their respective conferences.

Alabama Men's Basketball Roster

Team Roster

                   NAME    POS    HT    WT    CLASS    BIRTHPLACE

• Mouhamed Dioubate10    F    6' 7"    215 lbs    FR    Queens, NY
• Ward Harrell33    F    6' 7"    220 lbs    FR    New Braunfels, TX
• Grant Nelson2    F    6' 11"    230 lbs    SR    Devils Lake, ND
• Nick Pringle23    F    6' 10"    230 lbs    SR    Seabrook, SC
• Max Scharnowski31    F    6' 6"    205 lbs    SR    Elgin, IL
• Jarin Stevenson15    F    6' 11"    210 lbs    FR    Chapel Hill, NC
• Mohamed Wague11    F    6' 10"    225 lbs    JR    Bronx, NY
• Sam Walters24    F    6' 10"    198 lbs    FR    The Villages, FL
• Davin Cosby Jr.4    G    6' 5"    205 lbs    FR    Richmond, VA
• Aaron Estrada55    G    6' 3"    190 lbs    SR    Woodbury, NJ
• Rylan Griffen3    G    6' 6"    190 lbs    SO    Dallas, TX
• Kris Parker0    G    6' 9"    195 lbs    FR    Tallahassee, FL
• Mark Sears1    G    6' 1"    185 lbs    SR    Muscle Shoals, AL
• Kai Spears32    G    6' 2"    160 lbs    SO    Pittsburgh, PA
• Latrell Wrightsell Jr.12    G    6' 3"    190 lbs    SR    Omaha, NE

Charleston Mens Basketball Roster

Team Roster

                    NAME    POS    HT    WT    CLASS    BIRTHPLACE

• Ante Brzovic10    F    6' 10"    225 lbs    JR    Zagreb, Croatia
• Ben Burnham13    F    6' 7"    220 lbs    JR    Fort Mill, SC
• Adam Comer50    F    6' 9"    220 lbs    JR    Spartanburg, SC
• Spencer Legg41    F    6' 6"    205 lbs    SO    Washington, DC
• Frankie Policelli1    F    6' 9"    225 lbs    SR    New Hartford, NY
• James Scott23    F    6' 11"    210 lbs    FR    Fayetteville, NC
• Mayar Wol15    F    6' 8"    185 lbs    FR    Raleigh, NC
• Bryce Butler4    G    6' 5"    205 lbs    SR    Latrobe, PA
• Jordan Crawford0    G    6' 2"    180 lbs    FR    Charlotte, NC
• CJ Fulton12    G    6' 2"    190 lbs    JR    Belfast, Ireland
• Evan Kilminster5    G    6' 4"    180 lbs    FR    Newcastle, Australia
• Khalil London3    G    6' 3"    185 lbs    FR    Wyandanch, NY
• Jack Miller31    G    5' 11"    180 lbs    JR    Ocean Township, NJ
• Dylan Ritter45    G    6' 1"    185 lbs    JR    Zionsville, IN
• Kobe Rodgers11    G    6' 3"    180 lbs    JR    Cincinnati, OH
• Reyne Smith2    G    6' 2"    190 lbs    JR    Ulverstone, Australia

When Does Charleston Play In The NCAA Tournament?

Tip off for Charleston vs. Alabama is set for March 22 at 6:35 pm. 

CofC Basketball Games In 2023-2024

Replays of Charleston Men's Basketball games from the 2023-24 season can be found here.

NCAA Basketball Tournament Bracket 

The bracket was announced on March 17. 

THE BRACKET IS SET ?

let the madness begin pic.twitter.com/dF2y29XrEa

— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) March 17, 2024

Here is the West Region: 

First look at the 2024 NCAA Tournament bracket WEST Region, where North Carolina is the No. 1 seed: pic.twitter.com/waZWD42wq1

— Kyle Boone (@kyletheboone) March 17, 2024

When Does The 2024 NCAA Tournament Start?

The tournament will begin with Selection Sunday on March 17, followed by the First Four on March 19-20. 

After the opening round is complete, the field will be set with the top 64 teams and the first round will start on March 21-22.

Watch NCAA Men's Basketball On FloHoops

The NCAA Men's Basketball is streaming live on FloHoops and the FloSports app. The BIG EAST Digital Network is also on FloHoops and the FloSports app.

FloHoops Archived Footage

Video footage from all events will be archived and stored in a video library for FloHoops subscribers to watch for the duration of their subscription.

Join the College Basketball Conversation on FloHoops Social

• Follow us on Twitter @FloHoops.
• Follow us on Instagram @flohoops.
• Follow us on TikTok @Flohoopstv.
• Watch us on YouTube. 
• Like us on Facebook.