“North Dakota, stand up!” the CBS announcer bellowed as Grant Nelson made a go-ahead layup, getting fouled in the process and leading the charge of a late-game Alabama comeback.
The Devils Lake alum is now headed to the Elite Eight — the second in Alabama history. After a relatively slow first two games of March Madness, he had the game of his life Thursday night at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. He put up 24 points, 12 rebounds and five blocks to fuel the No. 4 Crimson Tide’s 89-87 victory over No. 1 North Carolina.
And he brought Devils Lake some national attention in the process.
“I’m from a small town, Devils Lake,” Nelson told the media after the game. “Shoutout all those guys. It’s a loving community. I really grew up with everything I could ask for, playing basketball at the park every day.”
Nelson’s scoring started in the first minute of play. He made two free throws early on to give Alabama a 4-2 lead.
But the Tide struggled out of the gate. Despite four rebounds from Nelson, North Carolina jumped out to a 19-9 advantage.
Alabama responded with an 8-0 run — which was fueled by a Nelson three-point jumper at the 13:27 mark. Alabama was back within two.
The Tar Heels widened the gap to 26-19, but the Tide soared back to tie it at 26 apiece, and went ahead on a Mark Sears three-pointer. North Carolina quickly countered with its own three to tie it back up, and the teams went back and forth for much of the first half’s remainder.
Nelson was held relatively in check in the first half, only collecting the aforementioned five points. North Carolina was outpacing Alabama and had an eight-point lead by halftime at 54-46. The Tide were fighting, but the No. 1 seed in the West Region looked primed to advance to the Elite Eight.
But the clawing back started in the second half. Nelson contributed two defensive rebounds and helped narrow the margin to as little as three. North Carolina made it a five-point game at 57-52, but Nelson spun in for a reverse layup that made it a three-point contest again.
About 30 seconds later, Nelson was fouled and made both free throws — not a surprise considering he converted over 80% of his free throws this year. He was nearing a double-double already with nine points and nine rebounds, and Alabama was right in this game with only a one-point deficit.
He nabbed his 10th rebound at the 14:07 mark, and Sam Walters hit a go-ahead three for Alabama. The teams traded baskets multiple times. But the Tar Heels’ peskiness struck once again as they climbed up to a 68-62 lead.
A Rylan Griffen three-pointer cut the deficit in half, making it 70-67. Nelson made a layup that officially got him into double-double territory, Alabama still trailing 72-69. He was fouled and made one of two free throws to get Alabama to the 70-point threshold.
With North Carolina leading 75-72 at the 5:26 mark, Aaron Estrada hit a three-pointer that made it a brand new ballgame. The Tar Heels countered with a basket, but Nelson was brought back to the line and made two clutch free throws to tie it at 77 apiece. He found the rim for a go-ahead basket, then made his second three-point jump shot of the game to widen the gap to five.
It wasn’t time for celebration just yet. After Nelson’s outburst gave Alabama an 82-77 lead, North Carolina went on an 8-0 run to retake the lead at 85-82.
And there was only one minute and 32 seconds remaining.
But Sears made a quick route for a layup — and then came Nelson’s shot that shook the nation. With 38.6 seconds to go, he reached up awkwardly from under the rim and got a shot off while being fouled. The ball went in the basket, and the announcer made his “North Dakota, stand up!” call that’s likely still ringing in the ears of Devils Lake locals.
Nelson’s shot put Alabama ahead 86-85, and he converted the and-one for extra comfort.
Moments after the play, the announcer even gave Devils Lake a mention. He added the context that Devils Lake was Nelson’s hometown, and that he’s come all the way from North Dakota to get where he is.
Nelson’s prowess for free throws came in handy again as he converted two more — making it a two-possession game at 89-85. Then North Carolina cut the lead in half, and Nelson actually missed a pair of free throws with 0.9 seconds left.
But the game was already Alabama’s. The Tar Heels tried to throw up a last-second desperation shot, but the 6-foot-11 Nelson blocked it to end the game. It was his fifth block of the game to complement his double-double.
And so the Devils Lake native achieved history. His heroics — where he led the team in scoring — brought Alabama to its first Elite Eight since 2004.
“Just this team coming together, battling adversity all season, it’s a great time to come together and start playing some defense,” Nelson said on CBS.
North Dakota can now stand up as it watches Alabama play No. 6 Clemson on Saturday at 7:49 p.m.
