Miami (Ohio) gets help from raucous crowd on way to first March Madness win in 27 years

The Miami (Ohio) RedHawks men’s hoops squad showed Wednesday nighttime that they beryllium successful the large creation arsenic they defeated SMU, 89-79, to triumph their First Four crippled and participate the NCAA Tournament arsenic the No. 11 seed.

The RedHawks got immoderate assistance from their fans during the game. Some of the pupil conception that traveled to Dayton, Ohio, for the crippled wore aquatics trunks and caps. At 1 constituent during the 2nd half, they successfully distracted an SMU subordinate astatine the foul line.

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Miami (Ohio) defender Eian Elmer (0) dunks during the 2nd fractional of a First Four assemblage hoops crippled against SMU successful the NCAA Tournament successful Dayton, Ohio, Wednesday, March 18, 2026.  (AP Photo/Jeff Dean)

Miami had a home-court vantage contempt not playing astatine their ain gym. The RedHawks lone had to question astir 25 miles to Dayton for the game.

Eian Elmer contributed 23 points connected the RedHawks’ mode to their archetypal tourney triumph successful 27 years. Elmer made six 3-pointers. The squad besides received 19 points from Brant Byers and 17 points from Luke Skalijac.

"The connection I gave our guys earlier the crippled was they should permission nary uncertainty with who the much attacking squad was," Miami (Ohio) manager Travis Steele said. "I thought that was precise evident from the leap shot each the mode to the extremity of the game."

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Miami (Ohio) caput manager Travis Steele, center, is interviewed pursuing a First Four assemblage hoops crippled against SMU successful the NCAA Tournament successful Dayton, Ohio, Wednesday, March 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Jeff Dean)

Miami finished the regular play 31-0, but was ousted aboriginal from the Mid-American Conference postseason tournament, putting them connected the bubble to get into the tract of 68. They were selected arsenic a squad that played successful the First Four games.

Despite the backmost and distant among pundits and critics, Miami was capable to enactment each the sound distant and support absorption to triumph the game. It's Miami's archetypal tourney triumph successful 27 years.

"We’re not truly focused connected proving whether we belong, honestly," Elmer said. "Everybody successful the locker country thinks we do. I conscionable deliberation if thing we’re conscionable going to spell retired there, play our hardest and person fun."

SMU’s Jaden Toombs led SMU with 20 points and 11 rebounds. Jaron Pierre Jr. added 18. SMU is inactive successful hunt of their archetypal tourney triumph since 1988.

SMU halfway Jaden Toombs (10) reacts pursuing a First Four assemblage hoops crippled against Miami (Ohio) successful the NCAA Tournament successful Dayton, Ohio, Wednesday, March 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Jeff Dean)

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Miami volition present play Tennessee successful the tract of 64 games connected Friday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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