UMass hands Miami (Ohio) first loss, crushing dream season and jeopardizing tournament bid

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The final undefeated team in NCAA Division I men’s basketball has fallen.

Miami (Ohio) saw its perfect season end Thursday with an 87–83 loss to UMass in the RedHawks’ Mid-American Conference tournament opener, a defeat that also dashed its hopes of securing an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

Massachusetts guard Marcus Banks (24) and guard K'jei Parker (5) celebrate after Massachusetts defeated Miami in the quarterfinals of the Mid-American Conference tournament in Cleveland March 12, 2026. (Sue Ogrocki/AP Photo)

"We always go back to watch the film. We'll break it down just like we always do. … [We'll be] off tomorrow and back at it Saturday trying to figure out ways to get better," head coach Travis Steele said via the team’s website.

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"There's still a lot of season left. Can we continue to improve? I think that's what the great teams do."

Miami had a 69-58 lead with 8:11 remaining before UMass rallied with a 13-2 run. The loss came after Miami (Ohio) secured the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament after going 31-0 during the regular season. 

Miami RedHawks guard Peter Suder (5) and guard Luke Skaljac (3) leave the floor as UMass Minutemen forward Leonardo Bettiol (3) celebrates after the final buzzer of the second half of a first-round game during the Mid-American Conference Tournament at Rocket Arena in Cleveland March 12, 2026. (Sam Greene/The Enquirer/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)

MIAMI REDHAWKS COMPLETE UNDEFEATED REGULAR SEASON WITH DRAMATIC OVERTIME VICTORY OVER OHIO

The RedHawks became just the fifth NCAA Division I program this century to go undefeated