The Vols sprinted out to a 19-point halftime lead and played suffocating defense to hand the RedHawks their second loss of the season. Emilee Chinn / Getty Images
March 20, 2026Updated 6:42 pm EDT
PHILADELPHIA — Miami (Ohio)’s stellar season came to an abrupt end on Friday, with the No. 11 seed RedHawks losing 78-56 to No. 6 seed Tennessee in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Miami emerged as an unexpected mid-major darling over the course of an undefeated regular season, going 31-0 out of the Mid-American Conference to become one of the biggest stories in college basketball. But they were completely overmatched by the size and physicality of Tennessee, who outrebounded the RedHawks by 17 and outscored them 40-16 in the paint. The Vols shot 53 percent from the floor and 9-for-20 from 3-point range, led by 29 points from senior guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie. Freshman standout Nate Ament did go scoreless on 0 for 3 shooting in 18 minutes.
The RedHawks are the 21st Division I team to complete an undefeated regular season and set a program record with 32 wins, the last one coming in a First Four victory over SMU on Wednesday, Miami’s first March Madness win since 1999.
The Cinderella run struck midnight against the Vols, who shot just 35 percent and made only 7 of 29 from long range, after making 16 of 41 in the First Four. After an Elite Eight run in 2025, Tennessee advances to face No. 3 seed Virginia in the second round on Sunday.
This story will be updated.
Mar 20, 2026
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