Miami (OH) is officially moving on as the 11-seed in the Midwest Region after an 89-79 win over SMU on Wednesday night in the First Four, meaning that the Redhawks will now square off against 6-seed Tennessee in the first round on Friday afternoon.
The Redhawks put on quite the shooting performance on Wednesday, knocking down 16 threes on 39% shooting from the perimeter. They went 45% from the field overall with 20 assists, while only turning the ball over four times.
According to OptaSTATS, Miami-Ohio is the first team in NCAA Tournament history to do all of the following in a single game: score 80+ points, record 20+ assists, make 15+ three-pointers, and record fewer than five turnovers.
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Miami-Ohio had four double-digit scorers, with Eian Elmer going for 23 points, Brant Byers going for 19 points, Luke Skaljac recording 17 points, and Almar Atlason tallying 12 points. Elmer, Byers, and Skaljac combined to do the most damage from range, going 13-of-23 from three-point range.
The Redhawks’ win over the Mustangs officially makes Miami-Ohio the 11-seed in the Midwest Region. Their next task will be 6-seed Tennessee on Friday afternoon in Philadelphia. The Volunteers are currently a point favorite heading into the game.
Stay tuned to Rocky Top Insider for more Tennessee coverage in the NCAA Tournament.
