After a weekend full of upsets, a top-four seed many predicted for an early exit is sticking around March Madness.

No. 4 Alabama handled No. 12 Grand Canyon on Sunday night in Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena, silencing a vocal crowd with 10-0 run in the final 3:49 of regulation.

Through an up-and-down season — UA went 4-10 in Quad 1 games; it finished one game out of defending a regular-season conference title but slumped into the playoffs — Alabama has faced defensive questions. Though some remain with 154 points allowed over the weekend, the Tide (23-11) offense has been good enough.

Alabama followed up a program-record 109 NCAA Tournament points with 72, rallying against the Lopes (30-5) to book a trip to Los Angeles. Alabama will stay out West before the regional, looking to preserve some of its current hot streak.

The Tide went eight-of-31 from 3-point range. Mark Sears, UA’s Second-Team All-American totaled for 29 points. Oats and co. will need both to remain consistent when it looks to upset No. 1 North Carolina on Thursday.

To call it a slow start for either team would be an understatement. Alabama and Grand Canyon started three for 21 combined. For a large chunk of the first half, there were more blocks than field goals. Each bench complained about fouls as the physicality Oats predicted became quickly apparent.

Alabama’s bench was called for a pair of technical fouls, the first on Oats for complaining about a non-call after a Tyon Grant-Foster 3-pointer; the second came after Nick Pringle spiked a clipboard. The restless back-and-forth continued as Latrell Wrightsell Jr. fell to the floor on a block attempt and left the game with a “head injury,” per UA Athletics.

Each team traded multiple scoreless stretches that Alabama ended by breaking down GCU and creating looks outside the arc. The Lopes could only finally a clean look from the free-throw line. It had 18 attempts in the opening 20 minutes. Grand Canyon made 10 of them while Alabama ended the half with seven straight field goals to lead 38-30.

The Tide kept an advantage in the first couple minutes of the second half, though key players fell into foul trouble. Rylan Griffen typically drew Grant-Foster on defense and his work kept GCU’s best scorer off-balance, forcing a turnover scooped by Sears and dished to Sam Walters for a corner 3-ball.

Alabama led by nine points halfway through the frame as GCU’s Bryce Drew called a timeout to keep his team in it. Multiple turnovers by UA’s guards gave GCU breakaway opportunities. With 7:40 remaining Alabama’s lead was down to two points. A drive and and-1 tied the game soon after.

Forced to dig deeper into the bench, Mouhamed Dioubate snagged a pair of offensive rebounds on foul shots. He triggered a run with four buckets, hugging Oats and multiple players after a timeout.

Rylan Griffen scored 13 points to stem 29 points from Tyon Grant-Foster and hold off a late push from the Lopes.

Oats has said all year this team is different. That its defensive issues were solvable through effort. That its sluggish offense was a byproduct of untimely injuries. He was ultimately proven right. The Tide is the lone school from Alabama making it to the second weekend.