Miami (Ohio) was taking part in in Dayton on Wednesday evening in the First Four, however it seemed like Oxford. About an hour drive separates the 2 Ohio cities, and that type of distance isn’t any problem for the PurpleHawks.
Not for his or her followers, who made the brief journey and injected palpable power into the First Four matchup against SMU, and never for his or her gamers, who fired from lengthy vary at will.
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With 7:18 left, Luke Skaljac hit a transition 3 that gave Miami a 14-point cushion, and a symphony of PurpleHawks cheers reached a crescendo that almost took the roof off UD Arena.
From there, Miami, which went 16-of-41 from 3-point land, put the ending touches on a statement-making, 89-79 win, this system’s first NCAA tournament victory since their run to the Sweet 16 in 1999.
Yahoo Fantasy Bracket Mayhem: Make your picks for $50K in total prizes
SMU (20-14) ends its season with six losses in its last seven video games. With a No. 11 seed, Miami (32-1) will face No. 6 seed Tennessee in the first spherical of the Midwest area.
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The PurpleHawks had been six days faraway from struggling their first lack of the season. UMass bounced Miami in the quarterfinals of the conference tourney and tainted its good file in the method.
That setback value Travis Steele’s group an opportunity at an automated bid and placed the RedHawks firmly on the bubble, the place they needed to sweat out Selection Sunday and hope that their Wins Above Bubble ranking made up for his or her a lot decrease NET rating.
Their schedule had been the topic of scrutiny all through their 2025-26 marketing campaign whereas they turned the first group to publish an undefeated regular-season file since 2020-21 Gonzaga. But Miami proved it belonged on the identical stage as SMU, one other program trying to find its first NCAA tournament win this century.
Skaljac, a sophomore guard, and junior wing Eian Elmer mixed for 26 of the PurpleHawks’ first 28 factors. Skaljac completed with 17 factors, and Elmer had a team-high 23.
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Steele’s crew had the greenest of lights from downtown, they usually performed with the type of tempo that had them ranked forty fourth nationally in adjusted tempo coming into the dance, based on KenPom.
That velocity was particularly evident on a heads-up play made by MAC Player of the Year Peter Suder. He tracked down a cross on the break and angled a bounce cross for Elmer, who elevated on the good time to fulfill the ball after which gently redirect it into the basket. Elmer received a pleasant roll.
Mostly the whole lot was falling for Elmer. He had 14 first-half factors and made 5 of his first six field-goal makes an attempt, together with 4-of-5 from deep.
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Brant Byers caught fireplace as properly. The redshirt sophomore wing engineered a self-made 9-0 run in the ultimate two minutes of the opening body. He transformed an and-1 after which drilled back-to-back 3s, serving to Miami take a 43-34 benefit into the break.
Andy Enfield’s SMU, nonetheless lacking third-leading scorer B.J. Edwards as a result of veteran guard’s ankle damage, leaned on guards Boopie Miller and Jaron Pierre Jr., plus middle Jaden Toombs.
Before Byers’ surge, Miller pulled the Mustangs inside two factors of Miami. First he knocked down a pair of 3s, after which, quickly after, he dropped in a step-through bucket.
SMU answered once more to begin the second half, even tying the game 47-47 due to Sam Walters. The junior ahead adopted a 3-pointer with a second-chance bucket to knot issues up. Shortly after that, Walters discovered a chopping Corey Washington, establishing the senior ahead for a go-ahead dunk.
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That stated, it wasn’t lengthy earlier than the momentum swung again Miami’s approach. Byers sank one other 3, and Bradley switch ahead Almar Atlason strung collectively 5 straight factors to increase what finally turned a 13-0 run that gave Miami a 63-50 lead. Suder assisted two of the first three discipline objectives in that sequence and clocked out with six dimes.
Later, Skaljac dribbled into his deafening 3-pointer.
Meanwhile, Miller struggled from the sector, as SMU didn’t maintain tempo with the PurpleHawks’ 3-point barrage. Toombs scored a team-high 20 factors for the Mustangs, and Pierre was shut behind with 18. But Miller was 6-of-17 from the ground, and SMU linked on simply 5 of its 21 3-point makes an attempt.
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It appeared just like the game was going to finish prefer it began, with Elmer splashing 3s. He poured in two extra down the stretch. But a fast Mustangs flurry made it a seven-point game with two minutes to go.
Instead, Elmer used a backdoor minimize and one-handed slam to place the exclamation level on the victory, a validating one for a Miami program that’s handled outsiders doubting its NCAA tournament résumé all season.
Prairie View A&M wins first-ever NCAA tournament game
History was made earlier in the evening when Prairie View A&M — a 12 months faraway from ending with simply 5 victories — logged its first-ever NCAA tournament win. The SWAC tournament champion Panthers defeated the Patriot League tournament champion Lehigh Mountain Hawks, 67-55.
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Prairie View A&M pulled away in the second half, and senior guard Dontae Horne led the way in which with 25 factors, 7 rebounds and 4 steals. Once 9-16, the Panthers at the moment are 19-17, having received 10 of their final 11 video games.
The Howard Bison and Texas Longhorns each secured their bids to the first spherical on Tuesday.
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Yahoo Sports Staff
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Yahoo Sports Staff
Well, that ought to belay the entire nonsensical discuss Miami not deserving to be in the NCAA tournament discipline.
The PurpleHawks maintain on for the First Four win and the ultimate spot in the Round of 64. They’ll advance to play No. 6 Tennessee on Friday.
Miami shot a staggering 41 three-pointers and made 16; Eian Elmer led the way in which with 23 factors, however Brant Byers had 19 and Luke Skaljac had 17. Jaden Toombs had 20 factors and 11 rebounds for SMU in a dropping effort.
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Yahoo Sports Staff
The PurpleHawks are attempting to shut this one out however SMU isn’t going away.
A reminder that the winner of this game will transfer on to play No. 6 Tennessee.
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Yahoo Sports Staff
It’s not for lack of attempting on SMU’s finish, however Miami has been capable of maintain the Mustangs at arm’s size.
Will the PurpleHawks end this factor off?
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Yahoo Sports Staff
Miami is up double digits, however the Mustangs have loads of urgency now and have made their final 3 pictures.
There’s 5:22 left and it’s 75-64. Can the PurpleHawks shut the door?
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Yahoo Sports Staff
It was 50-50 simply 6 minutes in the past, however the PurpleHawks have fully modified the dynamic of the game as we hit the 7-minute mark and SMU has gone ice-cold.
It’s now a 71-57 lead for Miami.
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Yahoo Sports Staff
Miami’s Eian Elmer simply took his fourth foul on a foolish reach-in and he’ll head to the bench with over 9 minutes left in the game. That could possibly be necessary down the stretch.
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Yahoo Sports Staff
The PurpleHawks are cooking on the proper time. Almar Atlason has been on fireplace this second half and Miami is beginning to draw back.
SMU might want to cease the bleeding, and fast.
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Yahoo Sports Staff
The PurpleHawks have rediscovered their kind and are on an 8-0 run as we close to the halfway level in the second half.
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Yahoo Sports Staff
The Mustangs are driving now and the PurpleHawks’ chilly streak is at 4 minutes. SMU simply took the lead on a dunk by Corey Washington with 14 minutes left.
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Yahoo Sports Staff
Miami has hit a little bit of a chilly stretch and it is allowed SMU to climb again into this one. The PurpleHawks have not made a discipline objective in 2:42. Of course, that isn’t stopping them from launching 3-pointers. They’ve now shot 27 of them, and made 10.
There’s 16 minutes left in the game and Miami is up 5.
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Yahoo Sports Staff
We are again for the second half of the final First Four game. The 64-team bracket will formally be set after the subsequent 20 minutes of gametime.
Be certain to fill out your Yahoo bracket tonight or in the morning earlier than the game locks!
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Yahoo Sports Staff
The PurpleHawks went on one other run to finish the half and go into the locker room up 9. Eian Elmer has 14 factors for Miami; Luke Skaljack and Brant Byers have 12 every. The three of them have 38 of Miami’s 43 first-half factors.
The PurpleHawks shot a whopping 25 three-pointers in the first half.
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Yahoo Sports Staff
The Mustangs have discovered some battle because the game nears halftime. Jaden Toombs and Samet Yigitoglu have them again inside 2 with lower than 2 minutes to go.
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Jeff Eisenberg
If Miami would end in the decrease half of the Big East, as Bruce Pearl famously opined final month, the place would SMU end? Impressive first half so removed from the PurpleHawks!
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Yahoo Sports Staff
The PurpleHawks are cooking now and simply took a 10-point lead with slightly below 6 minutes left in the half.
Eian Elmer and Luke Skaljack have 26 of Miami’s 31 factors thus far.
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Yahoo Sports Staff
Peter Suder and Eian Elmer simply delivered a chaotic spotlight on a fastbreak to offer Miami a 7-point lead.
Suder was almost out of bounds earlier than delivering a excessive bounce cross to Elmer, who one-handed a end on the rim.
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Ben Fawkes
There was heavy betting motion from each revered bettors and the general public on Miami (Ohio) heading into this game. “We opened Miami (Ohio) +8.5 and took a heap of Miami cash,” Seamus Magee, BetMGM college basketball trader, told Yahoo Sports this week.
Bettors also loaded up on the RedHawks money line at BetMGM, as over 80% of the ML wagers were on Miami (Ohio) to beat SMU.
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Jeff Eisenberg
Tonight’s First Four matchup is a virtual home game for Miami, with Dayton less than an hour drive from its campus in Oxford, Ohio. You can hear the advantage in crowd support the RedHawks enjoy with every made basket or whistle.
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Yahoo Sports Staff
The Mustangs have missed 7 straight pictures because the game ticks all the way down to the 10-minute mark. Fortunately for them, the PurpleHawks are struggling as properly.
Both groups are hovering round 30% from the sector.
