Miami (Ohio) Loses First Game; NCAA Bid Uncertain

No. 20 Miami (Ohio) suffered its first loss of the season with an 87-83 defeat to Massachusetts in the Mid-American Conference Tournament on Thursday, ending their undefeated streak at 31-0. The RedHawks were the fifth men’s Division I program this century to go undefeated during the regular season.

The game, which had 12 lead changes and 10 ties, came down to the wire. With 29 seconds remaining, Daniel Hankins-Sanford made a tiebreaking layup for UMass. After a turnover by Miami’s Luke Skaljac, Marcus Banks made two free throws to extend the lead. Brant Byers was fouled on a 3-point attempt but made only two of three free throws. Banks then sealed the game with another pair of free throws with 8 seconds left.

The RedHawks had eight one-possession games during the regular season, including their last three coming into the MAC Tournament. Miami was also the first team since Gonzaga in 2020-21 not to have a loss going into a conference tournament.

Leonardo Bettiol led UMass (17-15) with 25 points, while Banks added 18 and Jayden Ndjigue contributed 16. The Minutemen escaped with a victory in a quarterfinal game that had 12 lead changes and 10 ties.

The loss raises questions about whether Miami’s first defeat will impact their chances of securing an NCAA Tournament bid. St. Joseph’s lost to Xavier in the 2004 Atlantic 10 quarterfinals but still was a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, setting a precedent that could be relevant for the RedHawks.

In other MAC Tournament games on Thursday, Kent State Golden Flashes (23-8) played against the Ohio Bobcats (15-16), and Akron Zips (26-5) faced the Buffalo Bulls (17-14). The Idaho Vandals (28-5) will play against the Montana State Bobcats (25-6) in the Big Sky Championship on Wednesday.

In another MAC Tournament matchup, Akron Zips (27-5, 18-1 MAC) are set to face Kent State Golden Flashes (24-8, 15-4 MAC) on Friday at 7:30 p.m. EDT in Cleveland. The Zips have dominated the conference with an 18-1 record against MAC teams and a notable performance in games decided by 10 or more points, holding a 24-3 record.

Akron averages 89.1 points, significantly higher than Kent State’s defensive average of allowing 79.8 points. The Golden Flashes lead the MAC in rebounds per game with an average of 35.9, led by Delrecco Gillespie who averages 11.0 rebounds.

The teams have met twice this season, with Akron winning both encounters, including a recent victory on February 28 where Shammah Scott scored 23 points for the Zips and Morgan Safford led Kent State with 15 points. The upcoming matchup is highly anticipated as both teams aim to advance in the tournament.

The Miami (Ohio) women’s team secured an NCAA Tournament berth by winning the Mid-American Conference Tournament title. Amber Tretter scored 23 points, and Ilse de Vries added 17 points for the RedHawks in their 68-58 victory over Toledo.

Akron Zips won the MAC Championship with a 79-76 victory over Toledo Rockets. Shammah Scott's deep three-pointer with six seconds left sealed the win for Akron, earning them an automatic NCAA Tournament berth and their third-straight conference championship.

The Zips were led by Amani Lyles with 15 points and 16 rebounds, while Tavari Johnson scored 15 points. Toledo's Leroy Blyden Jr. scored 21 points, and Sean Craig added 10 points.