The 2026 NCAA Tournament is already beginning to give surprises, and one of the most notable ones was Miami RedHawkswhich defeated the SMU Mustangs 89-79 in the First Four.
With this victory, Miami (Ohio) achieves its first victory in the tournament since 1999, marking a historic moment for the program.
Eian Elmer leads a brilliant performance
The great protagonist of the match was Eian Elmer, who scored 23 points and led the RedHawks’ offense in a key game.
Miami showed great effectiveness from the perimeter, scoring 16 triples, including 10 in the first half, a number that made the difference in the development of the game.
The decisive streak that changed the game
The game remained close until the second half, when SMU led 49-48. However, Miami responded with an impressive 15-1 run, which broke the game.
In that stretch, the contribution of Icelandic Almar Atlason was key, who hit two consecutive triples that boosted the lead to double digits.
SMU fought, but couldn’t come back against Miami
Despite the effort, SMU was unable to reverse the score.
Jaden Toombs led the Mustangs with 20 points, while Jaron Pierre added 18.
The team managed to reduce the difference to seven points in the final stretch, but Miami’s momentum was too strong.
Next challenge: Tennessee
With this win, Miami (Ohio) advances to face the number 6 seed, Tennessee Volunteers, in the next round of the tournament.
It will be a much more demanding test, but the RedHawks arrive with confidence and the motivation to continue writing their Cinderella story.
(Ohio) is already one of the great stories of March Madness 2026. Their combination of effectiveness, character and young talent makes them a dangerous rival for anyone.
The road is just beginning, but the RedHawks have already shown that they are ready to dream big.
