The University of Miami Hurricanes, under first-year coach Jai Lucas, tied a school record with 24 regular season victories after a 77-69 win on the road against SMU on March 4, 2026.
Rich Barnes
Field Level Media/Imagn Images
The 22nd-ranked University of Miami men’s basketball team continues turning heads the final week of the regular season.
The Hurricanes beat SMU 77-69 on the road Wednesday night, tying the school record with 24 regular season victories, and securing a third-place finish in the conference standings and a double bye in the upcoming league tournament.
Jai Lucas, Miami’s first-year head coach, said getting the double-bye will give his team more time to rest, which is needed as several players are banged up. As for tying the school record for wins, Lucas said he has not had time to think about the significance of that achievement.
“The one thing I’ve tried to do is stay in the moment,” he said. “Maybe after this Saturday [home season finale vs. Louisville], when this part of the season is over, I may reflect a little bit. I’m just blessed because I have good people around me, good administration, good coaches and the players have been accepting of me coaching them, so it’s been easy.”
Miami finished the game with 11 three-pointers on 18 attempts, matching its season high.
Tre Donaldson scored 17 points, and Malik Reneau added 14 points and 11 rebounds to help Miami beat a short-handed SMU team in Dallas.
The Hurricanes, who led wire-to-wire, were ahead by seven points at halftime and quickly doubled the margin in the first two minutes of the second half.
A Shelton Henderson pullup jumper with 14:37 to go pushed Miami’s advantage to 53-37 before the Mustangs trimmed the deficit to nine points on a pair of free throws by Samet Yigitoglu with 11:05 remaining.
Miami rebuilt the margin to 16 points via a 7-0 run punctuated by two free throws from Donaldson. SMU did not quit, drawing within 71-64 with 36.6 seconds left after Jaron Pierre Jr. scored 10 straight Mustangs points, but the Hurricanes held on to win their third straight game and seventh in their past eight contests.
Tru Washington added 15 points for Miami while Noam Dovrat scored 12 and Henderson had 11. Ernest Udeh Jr. grabbed 10 rebounds. Donaldson had nine assists and seven rebounds to go with his 17 points.
Ernest Udeh Jr. added 10 rebounds and eight points to go along with four blocks as Dovrat finished with 12 points on 4-of-5 shooting from three. Washington finished with 15 points, and Henderson added 11.
“Our confidence and our belief is where it needs to be now, at this part of the season,” Lucas said. “It takes a whole season to get the guys to understand. Whenever you go into March, you want to be rounded into form. I think we are. We’re not quite there yet, just a few little minor tweaks that can make us take another jump.”
Pierre led all scorers with 27 points, 25 of them in the second half. Boopie Miller contributed 21 for SMU, which played without star guard B.J. Edwards (ankle).
The loss keeps the Mustangs (19-11, 8-9) in a logjam at the middle of the league standings, with a move up to eighth still a possibility if SMU can beat Florida State in its final regular-season game. The teams seeded No. 5 through No. 9 earn a bye to the second round of the ACC tournament.
The Hurricanes built an 18-13 lead when Henderson poured in a 3-pointer. SMU answered, tying the game at 23 on a pair of free throws by Miller before Miami regained the front by way of a 10-4 spurt that was capped by Washington’s tip-in layup.
Miami finished the first half on a roll as Reneau had a layup before Dovrat canned a jumper from beyond the arc with four seconds left to push the Hurricanes’ advantage to 38-31 at the break.
Miami closes out the regular season against Louisville in the Watsco Center on Saturday at 2 p.m. Seniors Donaldson, Udeh and Reneau will be honored.
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Miami Herald sportswriter Michelle Kaufman has covered 14 Olympics, six World Cups, Wimbledon, U.S. Open, NCAA Basketball Tournaments, NBA Playoffs, Super Bowls and has been the soccer writer and University of Miami basketball beat writer for 25 years. She was born in Frederick, Md., and grew up in Miami.