Miami (OH) vs Southern Methodist

Miami (OH) pulled off a stunning upset in the First Four, downing No. 11 seed SMU 89-79 at a neutral site. The RedHawks built a commanding 14-point lead and weathered a furious Mustangs comeback. SMU clawed back with an 11-2 run to trim the deficit to one (49-48), but Miami (OH) responded with a devastating 15-1 surge that proved decisive. The back-and-forth battle saw 10 lead changes, but the RedHawks' late-game composure sealed it—Eian Elmer dunked with 1:00 left before Almar Atlason and others iced free throws down the stretch as SMU's Boopie Miller's desperate three-pointer with 33 seconds left came too late. The RedHawks' resilience overcame the spread: they were 7.5-point underdogs but held their nerve when it mattered most. Miami (OH) advances to the tournament proper.