Miami vs. Tennessee: RedHawks, Volunteers to clash in 1st round of NCAA Tournament The Miami RedHawks advanced to the first round of the NCAA Tournament after a dominant performance in the First Four, defeating the SMU Mustangs 89-79. The victory propelled Miami to a 32-1 record on the season and set the stage for their next challenge against the sixth-seeded Tennessee Volunteers in Philadelphia. The matchup is scheduled for Friday, with a potential early start time due to the game being the second contest in the session. The first game of the day, Wright State vs. Virginia, will tip off at 1:50 p.m. Fans unable to travel to Philadelphia can watch the RedHawks vs. Volunteers game on TBS. Tickets for Friday’s session are still available, with prices starting around $70. A single ticket grants access to both games held at Dayton’s UD Arena. Miami’s historic First Four performance included a school-record 16 three-pointers, led by Eian Elmer, who shot 6-of-9 from beyond the arc. The RedHawks’ offensive firepower helped secure their place in the tournament. Tennessee, finishing fourth in the SEC—the most represented conference in the tournament—brings a top-heavy scoring attack to the matchup. Three players average double-digit points, with two of them ranking among the top 10 in the SEC in scoring. Ja’Kobi Gillespie leads the Volunteers, averaging 18.0 points per game and shooting 33.2% from three-point range. His 8.0 three-point attempts per game rank second in the league. Despite their strong regular-season finish, Tennessee’s underlying statistics are less impressive, and the team ended the season on an uneven note. The Volunteers will face the winner of the session’s first game—No. 3 Virginia vs. No. 14 Wright State—in the second round on Sunday.#virginia #smu_mustangs #tennessee_volunteers #wright_state #miami_redhawks
