Alabama’s mission to win a national championship has ended.

After building a nine-point lead over San Diego State with less than 12 minutes remaining, Alabama collapsed Friday to end the run of the NCAA’s tournament’s No. 1 overall seed in the Sweet 16.

The Aztecs used a 12-0 run, including three consecutive three-pointers, to erase Alabama’s lead in a span of less than three minutes, then stretch their own advantage to nine points by the closing minutes. Alabama’s frantic attempt to save the season of perhaps the most talented team in program history fell short in a 71-64 loss.

In his expected final game in an Alabama uniform, star freshman Brandon Miller shot 3-of-19, including 1-of-10 on three pointers, with six turnovers. Miller shot 1-of-10 in the second half, and 1-of-7 on three-pointers, while turning it over four times. After bailing Alabama out of multiple games this season, Miller could not Friday night, missing a trio of three-point attempts in a little more than the final two minutes.

As a team, Alabama finished 3-of-27 on three pointers, an 11-percent rate that was the team’s second-worst of the season. Three of the Tide’s six worst three-point shooting performances came in March.

San Diego State’s defense, which entered the night ranked sixth in the nation in KenPom.com efficiency, blocked Alabama eight times. That was tied for the season high against Alabama in a regulation game, with several of Jahvon Quinerly’s shots at the rim blocked in key moments.

It was the second time in three seasons that Alabama had been upset short of earning the program’s second-ever Elite Eight bid. It fell as a No. 2 seed to UCLA in 2021, then was upended Friday by No. 5 seed San Diego State, which advances to play the winner of Princeton and Creighton. Alabama, which earned the program’s first No. 1 seed in an NCAA tournament, is now 1-9 all-time in Sweet 16 games.

The defeat begins an offseason in which Alabama will lose Miller, who accomplished more in one season than perhaps any player in school history, to the NBA draft. It could lose other players and has already seen two of its assistants, Bryan Hodgson and Charlie Henry, take head-coaching jobs elsewhere.

The only time in program history Alabama has made the Elite Eight was 2004.

This story will be updated.

Mike Rodak is an Alabama beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @mikerodak.