SMU Falls To RedHawks In NCAA Tournament First Four

Wednesday, March 18

Dayton, Ohio

8:15pm CT

SMU

20-14,8-10ACC

Miami (OH)

32-1,18-0MAC

Team	1	2	F
Miami (OH)	43	46	89
SMU	34	45	79

SMU men's basketball vs. Miami (OH) - Mar. 18, 2026

SMU Falls To RedHawks In NCAA Tournament First Four

Mar 18 | Men's Basketball

Box Score

Toombs Scores 20 To Lead Mustangs

Box Score | Postgame Notes
Photo Gallery | Video Highlights
Postgame Press Conference
Tournament Bracket

DAYTON, Ohio (AP) -- Eian Elmer scored 22 points and Miami (Ohio) beat the SMU Mustangs 89-79 on Wednesday night in the First Four for its first NCAA Tournament victory in 27 years.

Elmer went 6 of 9 from 3-point range as the 11th-seeded RedHawks (32-1), unbeaten during the regular season, advanced in the Midwest Region to play No. 6 seed Tennessee.

Brant Byers added 19 points, including four 3s, and Luke Skaljac had 17 points for Miami, making its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2007. The RedHawks finished 16 of 41 from 3-point range.

Jaden Toombs led SMU (20-14) with 20 points and 11 rebounds. Jaron Pierre Jr. scored 18 points and Boopie Miller had 15 for the Mustangs.

Miami went 31-0 during a captivating regular season - the only Division I team to go unbeaten in 2025-26 and just the eighth undefeated regular season in the past 50 years.

But the RedHawks lost their MAC Tournament opener to UMass, putting their NCAA Tournament hopes in jeopardy because of a schedule that ranked 339th in overall strength and featured no Quadrant 1 games.

Some analysts and critics questioned whether they belonged in the field with an at-large bid, but Miami silenced some skeptics Wednesday with a rousing victory over an Atlantic Coast Conference opponent.

Peter Suder had the assist of the night when he gathered an outlet pass from Skaljac and bounced a pass across the paint to Elmer, who caught it and scored with one hand to put the RedHawks ahead 20-13.

Suder dished out six assists.

Elmer had 14 points and went 4 of 6 from 3-point range in the first half. Byers hit back-to-back 3s to give Miami an 11-point lead.

SMU missed its first seven 3-point attempts before Pierre connected with 7:02 remaining in the first half. The Mustangs went 5 of 19 from long distance on the night.

Almar Atlason hit a pair of 3s to give the RedHawks a 63-50 advantage early in the second half. He scored 12 points.

Skaljac's transition 3 extended Miami's lead to 71-57.

SMU had a decided size advantage, but foul trouble negated some of that. Mustangs 7-foot-2 center Samet Yigitoglu fouled out with 1:31 remaining. He finished with eight points and six rebounds.

Miami plays Tennessee on Friday in Philadelphia.

SMU Postgame Notes – March 18, 2026

No. 11 SMU 79, [rv/rv] No. 11 Miami (OH) 89
SMU (20-14), SMU (31-2)
NCAA Tournament – First Four
UD Arena – Dayton, Ohio

POSTSEASON HONORS

Boopie Miller – All-ACC Second Team, NABC All-District First Team
Jaron Pierre Jr. – All-ACC Honorable Mention, NABC All-District Second Team
B.J. Edwards – All-ACC Honorable Mention, ACC All-Defensive Team, votes for ACC Defensive Player of the Year, votes for ACC Most Improved Player

LINEUP ADJUSTMENT

Starters: #2 Boopie Miller (G, Sr.), #3 Corey Washington (F, Sr.), #5 Jaron Pierre Jr. (G, Sr.), #10 Jaden Toombs (C, Fr.), #24 Samet Yigitoglu (C, So.)
- 5^th start for Jaden Toombs
- B.J. Edwards – DNP (injury – 6^th straight game), started first 28 games this season – 3x ACC Player of the Week, All-ACC Honorable Mention – 12.7 points (31^st ACC), 5.9 rebounds (19^th ACC), 4.9 assists (7^th ACC / 66^th NCAA), 2.3 steals (1^st ACC / 12^th NCAA), 2.56 assist-to-turnover ratio (5^th ACC / 67^th NCAA), 33.2 minutes (7^th ACC)

GAME PHOTOS

Courtesy SMU Athletics: https://o000005859.photoshelter.com/galleries/C0000YDzm_fkr_U8/G0000ty1HGbaHIR4/03-18-MBB-vs-Miami-OH

NCAA CAREER ACTIVE SCORING LEADERS – PIERRE JR. & MILLER OVER 2,000 POINTS

Jaron Pierre Jr. had 18 points and now has 2,188 for his career (Entered the game 4^th among NCAA D-I active players)
Boopie Miller had 15 points and now has 2,011 career points (Entered game 7^th among NCAA D-I active players)

HEAD COACH ANDY ENFIELD

SMU Head Coach Andy Enfield
- 20-14 this season
- 44-25 at SMU (2^nd season)
- 305-200 career record (15^th season)
- 7-7 in the NCAA Tournament

20 WINS

Head Coach Andy Enfield is the first to lead the Mustangs to at least 20 wins in each of his first two seasons
- 24-11 in 2024-25
- 20-14 in 2025-26

STAT COMPARISON

Score: SMU 79, MU 89
- SMU entered the game averaging 84.2 (2^nd ACC / 23^rd NCAA)
- Miami entered the game averaging 90.7 (2^nd NCAA)
FG%: SMU 47.7, MU 45.3
- SMU entered the game shooting 49.0% (2^nd ACC / 24^th NCAA)
- Miami entered the game shooting 52.4% (1^st NCAA)
FT%s: SMU 80.0%, MU 68.3%
- SMU entered the game shooting 74.1% (6^th ACC)
Points In The Paint: SMU 46, MU 20

NOTES

Starters: #2 Boopie Miller (G, Sr.), #3 Corey Washington (F, Sr.), #5 Jaron Pierre Jr. (G, Sr.), #10 Jaden Toombs (C, Fr.), #24 Samet Yigitoglu (C, So.)
- 5^th start for Jaden Toombs
- B.J. Edwards – DNP (injury –6^th straight game), started first 28 games this season – 3x ACC Player of the Week, All-ACC Honorable Mention – 12.7 points (31^st ACC), 5.9 rebounds (19^th ACC), 4.9 assists (7^th ACC / 66^th NCAA), 2.3 steals (1^st ACC / 12^th NCAA), 2.56 assist-to-turnover ratio (5^th ACC / 67^th NCAA), 33.2 minutes (7^th ACC)
SMU had 4 double-digit scorers (at least 4 double-digit scorers in 28 of 34 games this season)
- When 4 score 10+, SMU is 17-11 this season and 37-13 under Andy Enfield
- Boopie Miller 15 (entered game averaging 19.2; 5^th ACC / 49^th NCAA)
- Jaron Pierre Jr. 18 (entered game averaging 17.6; 8^th ACC)
- Jaden Toombs 20 (entered game averaging 7.8)
- Corey Washington 13 (entered game averaging 11.3; 45^th ACC)
SMU had 15 assists on 31 made FGs (entered game averaging 16.9; 3^rd ACC / 30^th NCAA)
- Boopie Miller 5 (entered game averaging 6.4; 2^nd ACC / 15^th NCAA)
- Corey Washington 3
- Jaron Pierre Jr. 4

ADDITIONAL INDIVIDUAL NOTES

B.J. Edwards (#0, G, Sr.) – Co-Captain, All-ACC Honorable Mention, ACC All-Defensive Team, votes for ACC Defensive Player of the Year, votes for ACC Most Improved Player, ACC Player of the Week (Nov. 24, Dec. 29, Jan. 26)
- DNP (injury – 6^th straight game), started first 28 games this season – 12.7 points (31^st ACC), 5.9 rebounds (19^th ACC), 4.9 assists (7^th ACC / 66^th NCAA), 2.3 steals (1^st ACC / 12^th NCAA), 2.56 assist-to-turnover ratio (5^th ACC / 67^th NCAA), 33.2 minutes (7^th ACC)
Boopie Miller (#2, G, Sr.) – Co-Captain, NABC All-District 1^st Team, All-ACC Second Team, ACC Player of the Week (Jan. 5), AP National Player of the Week (Jan. 6), USBWA/Oscar Robertson Trophy National Players of the Week (Jan. 6), Oscar Robertson Trophy Midseason Watch List, Lute Olson Award Watch List, Preseason All-ACC Second Team
- 15 points (Entered game averaging 19.2; 5^th ACC / 49^th NCAA)
- 3-6 on 3FGs (entered game at 41.0%)
- 5 assists (Entered game averaging 6.4; 7^th ACC / 66^th NCAA)
Jaron Pierre Jr. (#5, G, Sr.) – NABC All-District 2^nd Team, All-ACC Honorable Mention, Hoop Hype XL Player of the Game (Dec. 7)
- 18 points (Entered game averaging 17.6; 8^th ACC)
- 4 rebounds (Entered game averaging 4.9)
- 4 assists
- 3 steals
Jaden Toombs (#10, C, Fr.)
- 5^th start this season
- 20 points (Entered game averaging 7.8)
- Tied career-high 11 rebounds (Entered game averaging 4.3)
- 3^rd career double-double
Corey Washington (#3, F, Sr.)
- 13 points (Entered game averaging 11.3; 45^th ACC)
- 7-9 on FTs
Sam Walters (#4, F, Jr.)
- 5 points
- 4 rebounds
- 2 assists
Samet Yigitoglu (#24, C, So.)
- 8 points (entered game averaging 10.8; 50^th ACC)
- 4-5 on FGs (entered game shooting 62.4%)
- 6 rebounds (Entered game averaging 7.9; 8^th ACC / 84^th NCAA)
  - 2 offensive rebounds (entered game averaging 3.6; 1^st ACC / 17^th NCAA)

SMU INDIVIDUAL SEASON & CAREER RECORDS

SMU Season Points
- 1 737 Gene Phillips (Sr.), 1970-71 (26)
- 2 685 Gene Phillips (Jr.), 1969-70 (24)
- 3 665 Semi Ojeleye (Jr.), 2016-17 (35)
- 4 639 Papa Dia (Sr.), 2010-11 (35)
- 5 634 Ira Terrell (Sr.), 1975-76 (28)
- 6 629 Boopie Miller (Sr.), 2025-26
- 7 624 Jim Krebs (Sr.), 1956-57 (26)
- 8 622 Kendric Davis (Sr.), 2021-22 (32)
- 9 608 Quinton Ross (Sr.), 2002-03 (30)
- 10 599 Jaron Pierre Jr. (Sr), 2025-26
Season Scoring Tandems
- 1 1,228 Boopie Miller (629) & Jaron Pierre Jr. (599)
- 2 1,165 Gene Phillips (737) & Bobby Rollings (428) - 1970-71
- 3 1,140 Papa Dia (639) & Robert Nyakundi (501) - 2010-11
- 4 1,135 Semi Ojeleye (665) & Sterling Brown (470) - 2016-17
SMU Career Assists
- 1 828 Butch Moore, 1982-86
- 2 508 Nic Moore, 2013-16
- 3 491 Gerald Lewis, 1989-93
- 4 469 Jeryl Sasser, 1997-01
- 5 468 Billy Allen, 1978-80
- 6 460 Carl Wright, 1982-85
- 7 445 Kendric Davis (75), 2019-21
- 8 419 Roderick Hampton, 1987-91
- 9 403 Kato Armstrong, 1985-89
- 10 396 Bryan Hopkins, 2002-06
- 11 387 Troy Matthews, 1993-97
- 12 371 Jon Killen, 2004-08
- 13 366 Boopie Miller, 2024-26
- 14 364 B.J. Edwards, 2023-26 – DNP
SMU Season Assists
- 1 255 Billy Allen (So.), 1979-80
- 2 247 Butch Moore (Jr.), 1984-85
- 3 222 Butch Moore (Sr.), 1985-86
- 4 213 Billy Allen (Fr.), 1978-79
- 5 211 Boopie Miller (Sr.), 2025-26
- 6 209 Kato Armstrong (Jr.), 1987-88
- 7 206 Michael Jaccar (Sr.), 1975-76
SMU Season FT Made
- 1 213 Gene Phillips (Sr.), 1970-71 (26)
- 2 203 Jan Loudermilk (Sr.), 1961-62 (25)
- 3 199 Gene Phillips (Jr.), 1969-70 (24)
- 4 184 Quinton Ross (Sr.), 2002-03 (30)
- 5 177 Kendric Davis (Sr.), 2021-22 (32)
- 6 172 Semi Ojeleye (Jr.), 2016-17 (35)
- 7 167 Ryan Manuel (So.), 2012-13 (32)
- 8 162 Kato Armstrong (Jr.), 1987-88 (35)/Boopie Miller (Sr.), 2025-26
SMU Career Steals
- 1 225 Bryan Hopkins, 2002-06
- 2 209 Gerald Lewis, 1989-93
- 3 205 Carl Wright, 1982-85
- 4 197 Jeryl Sasser, 1997-01
- 5 180 B.J. Edwards, 2023-25 – DNP
SMU Season Steals
- 1 83 B.J. Edwards (Jr.), 2024-25
- 2 79 Gerald Lewis (Sr.), 1992-93 (27)
- 3 77 Carl Wright (So.), 1983-84 (33)
- 4 76 Carl Wright (Jr.), 1984-85 (33)
- 5 68 Zhuric Phelps (So.), 2022-23 (30)
- 6 67 Willie Davis (Jr.), 1999-00 (30)
- 7 65 B.J. Edwards (Sr.), 2025-26 – DNP

SMU SEASON RECORDS

3-point field goals made
- 1. 286 2016-17
- 2. 284 2025-26
- 3. 281 2017-18
- 4. 280 2021-22
Total Points
- 1. 2879 1987-88
- 2. 2858 2025-26
- 3. 2797 2024-25
Assists
- 1. 786 1987-88
- 2. 675 1984-85
- 3. 655 1986-87
- 4. 608 1983-84
- 5. 574 2025-26
- 6. 567 2016-17