MGO

Alabama poses with the NCAA Championship trophy after beating Oklahoma State. (Photo courtesy of UA Athletics)

(Kent Gidley)

With a bull's eye on its back from the start of the season, Alabama rarely faltered in its pursuit of a second consecutive national championship.

With it all on the line Wednesday at Prairie Dunes Country Club in Hutchinson, Kansas, the Crimson Tide came up big one last time to defend its title.

Alabama, ranked No. 1 throughout most of the season, clinched the championship final match against Oklahoma State when senior Trey Mullinax eagled No. 17 to pick up the team's third and decisive victory of the day.

"You dream about this when you're at the country club chipping and putting. You've got that putt to win," Mullinax said in his post-match interview on The Golf Channel. "It's just a dream come true and I'm so glad that I came to Alabama."

Alabama, which ultimately won Wednesday's match, 4-1, is the sixth different program to win back-to-back national championships. Before Augusta State collected consecutive titles in 2010 and 2011, it hadn't been done since 1984-85.

The Crimson Tide came up short in its trip to the NCAA Championship finals against Texas in 2012, but came up victorious in its next two trips. It's the third sport at Alabama to win consecutive national titles since 2011, joining gymnastics and football.

"These guys are amazing to do this," said an emotional coach Jay Seawell, who admitted he cried three times before Wednesday's match. "Congrats to Oklahoma State, you're a great team and a great bunch of guys and they'll be back, that's for sure, but today was our day."

As the Crimson Tide celebrated on the course, Seawell found assistant Mike McGraw, who was fired as Oklahoma State's coach in 2013.

"Thank you for saying yes," Seawell said.

"I'm the world's oldest assistant golf coach," said McGraw, who coached the Cowboys to the 2006 national championship. "The kids at Alabama took me under their wing in a way it made me feel comfortable, gave me a lot of respect that I don't know if I earned or not, but they gave it to me from the start."

Bobby Wyatt picked up the first point with his 3 & 2 victory against Talor Gooch. After dropping the first hole, the senior from Mobile's UMS-Wright aced No. 2 and never trailed again. Wyatt, who was the medalist winner at the SEC Championship, ended his career with seven straight NCAA Championship match-play victories.

"I holed out pretty well," Wyatt said in his post-match interview. "I made my putts when I had to."

Wilmer's Robby Shelton, who was honored earlier in the day as the Phil Mickelson National Freshman of the Year, finished strong yet again on the back nine to pick up Alabama's second point. Shelton was down two after No. 12 but stormed back and took a lead he wouldn't relinquish with a birdie on No. 16.

Shelton, who finished tied for third in the stroke-play portion of the tournament, won all three of his matches in his first NCAA Championship. He carded a 7-under (63) on Wednesday thanks to birdies on six of the last seven holes.

"I told myself I needed birdies for sure coming down the stretch," Shelton said. "The pressure was unbelievable. I was shaking."

Senior Cory Whitsett was on the course and held a two-hole advantage over Jordan Niebrugge when Mullinax, the former Gardendale High star, sunk his eagle to down Ian Davis, 2 & 1.

"I think it's just the comfort factor of being there," Whitsett said. "I know that really helped us today. It helped me personally and I could see by the scoreboard it helped our guys."

Sophomore Tom Lovelady, the former Mountain Brook product, fell, 3 & 1, to Oklahoma State redshirt freshman Wyndham Clark.

Asked about the chance for a three-peat, Seawell smiled.

"Saban would punch you in the nose on that one," he said.