Miami (Ohio) downs SMU in First Four: 'Deserve' to be here Miami (Ohio) made a strong statement in the First Four of the NCAA tournament, defeating SMU 89-79 at UD Arena. The 11th-seeded RedHawks, who had been a polarizing 30-win team in the lead-up to the tournament, proved their worth by outperforming the 6.5-point favorite. The victory marked their first tournament game since 2007 and set them up for a first-round matchup against No. 6 seed Tennessee in the Midwest Region. Coach Travis Steele emphasized that the game was not an upset, calling it a validation of the team’s preparation. “We were the better team coming into this game,” he said. The RedHawks led for most of the contest, hit a season-high 16 three-pointers, and scored their highest total in a tournament game since 1958. Star guard Peter Suder credited the team’s resilience, saying they had “proven the doubters wrong” by defeating a “really good team” with physical talent. Miami’s path to the tournament was unique. The team did not face any power conference opponents in nonleague play, as schools avoided scheduling them due to their weak schedule. Despite going 31-0 in the regular season and reaching the Mid-American Conference tournament quarterfinals, their lack of high-profile wins created an unusual at-large profile. “We had to basically be perfect in the whole regular season to get that at-large,” Steele said. The RedHawks’ success in the tournament was bolstered by a passionate crowd, with over 12,000 fans in attendance. The game’s energy was heightened by the presence of Miami’s men’s swimming and diving team, who sprinted down the aisle behind SMU’s basket to distract free throw shooter Corey Washington. “What really surprised me was the swim team, when they came out,” said forward Antwone Woolfolk. Miami’s offensive strategy was key to the win.#travis_steele #miami_ohio #smu #ud_arena #peter_suder
