Trending Now - Miami (ohio) Secures First NCAA Tournament Win Since 1999

WHO:

Miami (Ohio) RedHawks basketball team

Coach Travis Steele

Eian Elmer, player for Miami (Ohio)

Brant Byers, player for Miami (Ohio)

Luke Sklajac, player for Miami (Ohio)

Jaden Toombs, player for SMU

Jarron Pierre Jr., player for SMU

Boopie Miller, player for SMU

Samet Yigitoglu, player for SMU

Peter Suder, player for Miami (Ohio)

Prairie View A&M basketball team

Dontae Horn, player for Prairie View A&M

Hank Alvey, player for Lehigh

Nasir Whitlock, player for Lehigh

Cory Wells, player for Prairie View A&M

WHAT:

Miami (Ohio) defeated SMU 89-79 in the First Four of the NCAA Tournament

This victory marked Miami (Ohio)'s first NCAA Tournament win since 1999

Eian Elmer scored 23 points, Brant Byers scored 19 points, and Luke Sklajac scored 17 points for Miami (Ohio)

Miami (Ohio) made 16-of-41 3-point attempts, setting an NCAA record for a First Four game with 41 attempts

Prairie View A&M won against Lehigh 67-55, marking its first NCAA Tournament win in program history

Dontae Horn scored 25 points for Prairie View A&M, all in the second half

Alvey scored 23 points and grabbed 15 rebounds for Lehigh

WHERE:

UD Arena, Dayton, Ohio

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (upcoming game location for Miami (Ohio))

Tampa, Florida (upcoming game location for Prairie View A&M)

WHEN:

The game between Miami (Ohio) and SMU took place on March 18th, 2026

Miami (Ohio) will face Tennessee on March 20th, 2026

Prairie View A&M will face Florida on March 20th, 2026

Miami (Ohio) finished the regular season with a record of 31-0 in 2025-26

WHY:

Miami (Ohio) was questioned about their NCAA Tournament bid after losing to UMass in the Mid-American Conference tournament quarterfinal

Critics doubted Miami (Ohio)'s inclusion in the tournament due to a weak schedule ranking 339th in overall strength

HOW:

Miami (Ohio) utilized a strong 3-point shooting strategy, with Elmer, Byers, and Skaljac leading the scoring

Prairie View A&M employed a defensive strategy that limited Lehigh's leading scorer to just five points

Miami (Ohio) regained the lead after a 3-pointer from Peter Suder, who also had six assists in the game

(UPDATED March 19, 2026 11:15 UTC)

In an exciting NCAA Tournament matchup on March 18, Miami (Ohio) defeated SMU 89 to 79, marking their first tournament win since 1999, with standout performances from Eian Elmer, who scored 23 points, and Brant Byers, who added 19. Meanwhile, Prairie View A&M celebrated its first NCAA Tournament victory in program history by overcoming Lehigh 67 to 55, thanks to a remarkable second-half performance from Dontae Horn, who scored all 25 of his points during that period. Both teams will continue their tournament journeys on March 20, with Miami (Ohio) set to face Tennessee and Prairie View A&M taking on Florida.