No. 22 Miami clinches third place in ACC with victory at SMU

Hurricanes tie school record for regular-season wins with 77-69 triumph over Mustangs

Published on Mar. 5, 2026

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Tre Donaldson scored 17 points and Malik Reneau added 14 points and 11 rebounds to help No. 22 Miami beat short-handed SMU 77-69 on Wednesday. The win guaranteed Miami (24-6, 13-4 ACC) a third-place finish in the conference standings and a double bye in the upcoming league tournament.

Why it matters

The victory keeps Miami in contention for a high seed in the ACC tournament, while SMU (19-11, 8-9) remains in the middle of the league standings with one regular-season game left to play.

The details

Miami led by seven points at halftime and quickly doubled the margin in the first two minutes of the second half. The Hurricanes rebuilt the margin to 16 points via a 7-0 run, but SMU did not quit, drawing within 71-64 with 36.6 seconds left before Miami held on for the win. Jaron Pierre Jr. scored 25 of his game-high 27 points in the second half for SMU, which played without star guard B.J. Edwards due to an ankle injury.

  • The game was played on Wednesday, March 5, 2026.
  • Miami tied the school record for regular-season victories.

The players

Tre Donaldson

Scored 17 points for Miami.

Malik Reneau

Added 14 points and 11 rebounds for Miami.

Jaron Pierre Jr.

Scored a game-high 27 points for SMU.

Boopie Miller

Contributed 21 points for SMU.

B.J. Edwards

SMU's star guard, missed the game due to an ankle injury.

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What’s next

SMU will play its final regular-season game against Florida State, with a chance to move up to the eighth seed in the ACC tournament.

The takeaway

Miami's victory keeps them in contention for a high seed in the ACC tournament, while SMU's loss leaves them in the middle of the league standings with one game remaining in the regular season.