3-man Alabama keeps it close

In one of the strangest games in NCAA history, No. 14 Minnesota defeated No. 25 Alabama 89-84 on Saturday — as the Crimson Tide finished the game with just three players.

“We fought to the very end,” Alabama coach Avery Johnson said. “There was no surrender in our team.”

Nate Mason scored 20 points to lead Minnesota in the championship game of the Barclays Center Classic in New York. Jordan Murphy scored 19 points and grabbed 14 rebounds for the Gophers (7-0). Isaiah Washington added 14 points and Amir Coffey 12.

Collin Sexton scored 40 points for the Tide, while Riley Norris had 13 and Galin Smith added 10.

The matchup was marred by a near-brawl involving Minnesota’s Dupree McBrayer and Alabama’s Dazon Ingram in front of the Crimson Tide bench 6:21 into the second half. Just 27 seconds earlier, Mason and Sexton were assessed technical fouls for talking trash.

During the fracas, Alabama players Donta Hall, Alex Reese, Daniel Giddens, Avery Johnson Jr. and Herbert Jones came off the bench and were ejected. Ingram, who had four fouls at the time of the scuffle, later fouled out.

Nearly three minutes after the McBrayer-Ingram incident, Alabama lost John Petty to a leg injury, and the Crimson Tide ended the game playing just three players.

“Obviously, insanity ensued,” Minnesota coach Richard Pitino said.

Said Murphy: “That was one of the most bizarre things I've ever been a part of.”

Bruce Brown and Anthony Lawrence scored 14 points each to lead No. 11 Miami to an 86-65 victory over visiting North Florida (1-7).

Dewan Huell finished with 13 points for the Hurricanes (5-0), while Ja’Quan Newton and Chris Lykes added 12 and 10 points, respectively.

Brown, a sophomore guard and a projected firstround NBA draft pick in 2018, shot 7 of 14 and finished with seven rebounds.

The Hurricanes became the third team in coach Jim Larranaga’s seven seasons to start 5-0. AP