Miami (Ohio) Suffers First Loss, Jeopardizing NCAA Tournament Bid

RedHawks' undefeated season ends in MAC Tournament quarterfinals, raising questions about their March Madness chances.

Mar. 13, 2026 at 2:03am

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The 20th-ranked Miami (Ohio) RedHawks became the last unbeaten Division I men's basketball team to lose this season, falling 87-83 to UMass in the Mid-American Conference Tournament quarterfinals. The loss ends Miami's bid to become the first team since Gonzaga in 2020-21 to go undefeated in the regular season, and now the RedHawks must wait anxiously to see if they've done enough to earn an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Why it matters

Miami's loss is a significant blow to the RedHawks' NCAA Tournament hopes, as their strength of schedule ranks 344th out of 365 Division I teams. The last time the MAC got two bids was in 1999, when Miami earned an at-large bid after losing in the conference tournament final. Many bracketologists still have the RedHawks in the field, but their fate is now uncertain.

The details

Miami led by as many as 11 points in the second half, but UMass rallied to tie the game at 71-71 with 5:33 remaining. The Minutemen's dominance on the boards, with 23 second-chance points off 17 offensive rebounds, was the key to their comeback victory. UMass coach Frank Martin called it an "embarrassment" if the MAC doesn't get two teams in the NCAA Tournament, while Miami coach Travis Steele was more focused on his team's accomplishments, saying they've "earned the right" to play in the Big Dance.

  • Miami's unbeaten streak spanned 31 games and 363 days before Thursday's loss.
  • The RedHawks must wait three days to find out if they've made the NCAA Tournament.

The players

Travis Steele

The head coach of the Miami (Ohio) RedHawks, who was addressing a losing locker room for the first time in over a year.

Peter Suder

The MAC Player of the Year and a senior on the Miami (Ohio) team.

Frank Martin

The head coach of the UMass Minutemen, who led South Carolina to the Final Four in 2017.

Eian Elmer

A player for the Miami (Ohio) RedHawks who hit a 3-pointer to give his team a 69-58 lead in the second half.

David Sayler

The athletic director of Miami (Ohio) University, who believes the RedHawks have done enough to earn an NCAA Tournament bid.

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What they’re saying

“It was a little bit of shell shock. We hate to lose, and our guys put a lot into it. So does UMass.”

— Travis Steele, Head Coach, Miami (Ohio) RedHawks

“Undefeated means something, and so my hope is that they would make it. They've got a chip on their shoulder. I think to see them get into the tournament, they want to prove themselves against some of the bigger teams.”

— Grant Hill

“It'd be an embarrassment. A complete embarrassment if this league doesn't get two teams in.”

— Frank Martin, Head Coach, UMass Minutemen

“I couldn't care less about the MAC getting multi bids, just to be quite frank. I know the MAC probably wanted that. It's more about just putting ourselves in the best position, which I think we've done. Our guys have earned the right, in my opinion, to play the NCAA Tournament.”

— Travis Steele, Head Coach, Miami (Ohio) RedHawks

“I think we proved during the regular season that we earned a spot, but I can just control what I can control. We're going to still get better every day and stay consistent with what we do. So we're going to learn from this and face the next challenge in whatever's in front of us.”

— Peter Suder, MAC Player of the Year, Miami (Ohio) RedHawks

What’s next

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The takeaway

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