Noah Gurley just shook his head. The graduate student sat in his locker after the Tide’s seven-point loss in a game it was favored by seven. It was a night where the top overall seed in the NCAA Tournament tied a season-low with three 3-pointers while San Diego State, ranked 133rd nationally in 3-point percentage, utilized the deep ball to storm back in a 12-0 run.

A season of historic promise and tragedy culminated as a what-if on the court. Afterward, Gurley could only chuckle when describing the irony. A team that tried to build itself to withstand a shooting slump fell to a team that got hot.

“Psh, I mean, it’s March,” he said after the 71-64 final, “I guess they just decided to hit shots. … I remember (Micah) Parrish from Oakland so I’m not really surprised he was making shots.”

In March, meaning in the postseason, Alabama fluctuated between great and terrible performances from range. Friday night in the KFC Yum! Center was rock bottom, with a paltry 11.1% (3-for-27) of 3s swishing through the net. Parrish converted two of the Aztecs’ six threes, banking one in early. SDSU’s rate, 6-for-17 for 35.3%, only grew more important when compared to Alabama’s struggles.

With the upsets only madness could deliver – the No. 2 and No. 4 seeds in the South Region fell in the first round, no No. 1 seeds will reach Houston and the Final Four — Alabama had the easiest route to its first-ever semifinal. Yet, as Nick Pringle described it, San Diego State “took off” from 3, hitting four in the second half. Meanwhile, each Tide brick laid the foundation for its second Sweet 16 loss in three years.

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“It’s basketball,” Charles Bediako said. “Sometimes you win some sometimes you lose some. They just hit shots and we just didn’t hit enough.”

In its last six games, the Tide made at least 33% of its 3s just twice. Before the Southeastern Conference tournament, the team rested its legs and tweaked jump shots. In an early-practice shooting drill before Nashville, coach Nate Oats said the team set its season record for makes. It led to 12 against Texas A&M on March 12 and 15 last week versus Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. But the negative trend reemerged in Louisville as Alabama started one-for-nine from 3 in the first half.

Tide players said they created open looks, but just couldn’t hit them. San Diego State, who joined Alabama as one of the best defensive teams in the country, constantly switched matchups on screens. They ran shooters off their mark and trusted reigning-Mountain West defender of the year Nathan Mensah to clean up inside. It was a similar game plan that Alabama had found success with all year. SDSU guard Matt Bradley liked the tries the Aztecs did concede, knowing it was putting Alabama in a bind.

“I think we were over-dribbling a little too much as a team, as a whole,” Jahvon Quinerly said. “The nail pitch was there. They were so tight. They just collapsed every time you went to drive. That usually gives up 3s but it kinda took us too long to kind of realize what they were doing.”

Alabama charged to a second-half lead with a 9-0 run as buckets inside started to fall. Bediako himself scored six points before the initial media timeout, nearly sending the Tide to its first Elite 8 since 2004. But the Aztecs responded. Darrion Trammell, a career 31.8% shooter from deep, cashed two in the decisive run. Adam Seiko, who hadn’t made multiple shots in a game since March 9, capped the run with a wide-open look from the slot and turned around to smile at the crowd after it slipped in.

Nearly two weeks ago, after winning another SEC title, Oats said Alabama wouldn’t need to “shoot it well” in to make a run NCAA Tournament. If Alabama could play tight defense (the Aztecs were 37.7% from the field) and rebound (it nabbed 52 to SDSU’s 48), it would find the points it needed. He would constantly remind his team to never pass an open look.

But then Miller went 1-for-10 from deep. Mark Sears and Rylan Griffen combined to go 1-for-10 as well. And Alabama’s 50% clip on layups 14-for-28, wasn’t enough. A limit was discovered and in doing so Alabama saw its season end.

Nick Alvarez is a reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @nick_a_alvarez or email him at [email protected].