Grant Nelson scored 23 points and Aden Holloway had 18 to lead No. 8 Alabama to a 100-87 win over No. 25 Illinois in a matchup of Elite Eight teams from last season.

Last meeting: The Crimson Tide took down the Fighting Illini 79-58 on March 17, 2015. Alabama's Levi Randolph and Rodney Cooper combined for 39 points on 13-of-20 from the field, Randolph and Retin Obasohan each grabbed seven rebounds, and Randolph also led the Tide in assists with five.

Alabama freshman guard Labaron Philon flirted with a triple-double against Illinois in what was one of his top performances of the season. Philon finished with 16 points, seven rebounds, nine assists, two steals, and one block on 7-of-13 shooting from the field.

Alabama didn’t slow down even with a scoreless night from star Mark Sears. The preseason All-American guard watched from the bench as the eighth-ranked Crimson Tide held off No. 25 Illinois 100-87.

And on Wednesday in Birmingham, Alabama, after No. 25 Illinois feasted on mid-major competition in three home wins to open the season, that adversity arrived in a tidal wave in th

Alabama hopes to bounce back after a tough road loss to the Purdue Boilermakers, while the new-look Fighting Illini team looks to improve to a hot 4-0 start.