RedHawks vs Mustangs: NCAA Tournament Showdown

0:00On March 19th, the Miami University Red Hawks are on the brink of ending a 27-year drought without an NCAA tournament win. They earned an at-large bid after a stellar 31-in-1 season, including an undefeated regular season that made the Mid-American Conference champions. Seated number 11 despite this success, they're facing seven Methodist University in the first four at UD Arena, just 40 miles from campus. Meanwhile, the Mustangs come in with a 20-in-13 record, finishing 11th in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Coached by Andy Enfield, they're led by Booby Miller, averaging 19.2 points per game, and boasts a high-scoring offense. SMUs making their first tournament appearance since 2011, though they're without injured guard BJ Edwards. Fans are packing UD Arena with the crowd heavily favoring the Red Hawks, over 80% in red, including Ohio Governor Mike DeWine. The home-like atmosphere has the energy electric, especially after Miami's recent Mac tournament exit to UMass left them hungry for

1:03the stage. Early in the game, both teams struggled offensively, but Miami pulled ahead with strong rebounding and timely threes from Ian Elmer and Brand Buyers. At halftime, the Red Hawks led 43-34, sparked by Buyers' 9-0 run. Into the second half, Miami held a slim 47-42 edge despite foul trouble. This matchup pits two top offenses against each other, and a Red Hawks win sends them to the round of 64, with momentum from their near-perfect run.