Miami (Ohio) Upsets SMU in NCAA Tournament, Prairie View A&M Earns First Win
DAYTON, OH – Miami (Ohio) proved its NCAA Tournament worthiness, silencing doubters with an 89-79 victory over SMU in a First Four matchup night at UD Arena. The RedHawks, whose perfect regular season was derailed by a loss to UMass in the Mid-American Conference tournament, advanced to the first round where they will face No. 6 seed Tennessee on in Philadelphia.
The win marked Miami (Ohio)’s first NCAA Tournament victory since 1999, a run that saw them reach the Sweet 16 with Wally Szczerbiak leading the charge. This year’s triumph was fueled by a blistering offensive performance, particularly from beyond the arc.
Eian Elmer led the RedHawks with 23 points, connecting on 6 of 9 three-point attempts. Brant Byers added 19 points, hitting 4 of 9 from deep, while Luke Skaljac chipped in with 17, making 3 of 5 from three-point range. Almar Orri Atlason contributed 12 points to a balanced attack. The trio combined for 59 points and 16 three-pointers, overwhelming SMU’s defense.
“We more than belong,” Miami (Ohio) coach Travis Steele said on the postgame broadcast. “We can advance deep in this tournament. Our group’s fully confident in that.”
The game began as a high-tempo affair, with both teams trading baskets in front of a spirited crowd that included a significant contingent of RedHawks fans who made the short 34-mile trip from Oxford, Ohio. But Miami quickly established its shooting prowess, consistently knocking down three-pointers that SMU struggled to answer.
“I feel like we brought Millett Hall to Dayton,” Elmer said after the game, referencing the RedHawks’ home arena and the electric atmosphere created by their fans.
Miami (Ohio) connected on 16 of 41 three-point attempts, setting an NCAA record for a First Four game with 41 total attempts from beyond the arc. They built a 43-34 halftime lead, largely on the strength of their outside shooting. Early in the second half, Elmer, Skaljac, and Byers had already accounted for 38 of the RedHawks’ 47 points.
SMU, led by Jaden Toombs’ 20 points, Jarron Pierre Jr.’s 18, Boopie Miller’s 15, and Corey Washington’s 13, fought back, briefly taking a 49-48 lead with 14:15 remaining. However, Miami responded with a quick 3-pointer from MAC Player of the Year Peter Suder, who was otherwise held to just seven points, to regain the lead.
The RedHawks then extended their advantage with back-to-back three-pointers, pushing their lead back to eight points. A foul trouble situation for SMU’s 7-foot-1 center, Samet Yigitoglu, who eventually fouled out, further hampered the Mustangs’ comeback efforts.
Following Yigitoglu’s fourth foul, Miami scored on a jump hook, and Skaljac followed with a three-pointer that gave them a 14-point cushion and ignited the RedHawks’ faithful. Despite Pierre’s efforts to retain SMU within striking distance, Miami (Ohio) closed out the game effectively, proving they belonged on the national stage.
SMU’s struggles weren’t due to a lack of scoring, but rather an inability to contain Miami (Ohio)’s perimeter attack. The Mustangs were also without B.J. Miller, the team’s second-leading scorer, who was held out of the game with an ankle injury as a precaution.
Prairie View A&. M Makes History
In Wednesday’s other First Four contest, Prairie View A&M earned its first-ever NCAA Tournament win, defeating Lehigh 67-55. A defensive shift in the second half proved pivotal for the Panthers, who will now face Florida in the first round on in Tampa, Florida.
Prairie View A&M’s defensive stand with 6:22 remaining, forcing a Lehigh shot clock violation after a scramble for a loose ball, sparked a momentum swing. Dontae Horn then took over offensively, scoring all 25 of his points in the second half. Cory Wells added a 19-point, 11-rebound double-double, along with three steals and three blocks.
The Panthers limited Lehigh’s leading scorer, Nasir Whitlock, to just five points on 2-of-15 shooting, effectively shutting down a key offensive threat. Lehigh’s Hank Alvey led the Mountain Hawks with 23 points and a career-high 15 rebounds, but was their only player to score in double figures.
Prairie View A&M’s second-half surge was fueled by improved offensive rebounding and a more aggressive defensive approach, including a three-quarters-court press that disrupted Lehigh’s offense. The Panthers extended their winning streak to eight games with the historic victory.