Missouri Tigers Eliminated from NCAA Tournament by Miami

Hurricanes' dominance on the boards dooms Tigers in first-round loss

Mar. 21, 2026 at 5:03am

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The Missouri Tigers were unable to overcome a physical, intense matchup against the Miami Hurricanes in the first round of the NCAA Tournament's West Regional on Friday night in St. Louis. The No. 10 seed Tigers fell to the No. 7 seed Hurricanes 80-66, marking the second straight year that head coach Dennis Gates' team has lost in the tournament's opening round.

Why it matters

Missouri was seeking its first Sweet Sixteen appearance since 2009, but the Tigers' inability to control the boards and get production from their stars doomed their chances against a resurgent Miami squad. The loss raises questions about the program's progress under Gates and whether the Tigers can break through in the NCAA Tournament.

The details

Miami out-rebounded Missouri 46-30, doubling up the Tigers on the offensive end 16-7 and riding that dominance to a 19-2 advantage in second-chance points. Missouri's stars, including All-SEC forward Mark Mitchell, struggled mightily, with Mitchell failing to score for the first 15 minutes and finishing with 19 points, three rebounds, five assists and five turnovers. Miami bigs Malik Reneau and Ernest Udeh gave Mitchell fits in the paint, surrounding him each time he touched the ball.

  • The game was played on Friday, March 21, 2026 at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis.
  • Missouri was making its third NCAA Tournament appearance in four years under head coach Dennis Gates.

The players

Dennis Gates

The head coach of the Missouri Tigers men's basketball team.

Mark Mitchell

An All-SEC forward for the Missouri Tigers and a native of Kansas City, Kansas.

Malik Reneau

A big man for the Miami Hurricanes who gave Missouri's Mark Mitchell fits in the paint.

Ernest Udeh

A former Kansas Jayhawk who is now a big man for the Miami Hurricanes and also contributed to containing Missouri's Mark Mitchell.

Tre Donaldson

A guard for the Miami Hurricanes who led the team's effort on both ends of the floor.

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What they’re saying

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— Robert Jenkins, San Francisco resident

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— Gordon Edgar, grocery employee

The takeaway

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