Friday night brought chaos to Athens when Miami of Ohio rain the champion ober Ohio 110–108 after an exciting overtime. A wild finish sealed the win for the RedHawks, pushing theirrecord to thirty-one wins without a single loss during their season. Their conference mark nowsits at eighteen and zero thanks to the clutch performance. This squad stands alone amongDivision I men’s teams, untouched by defeat so far this year.
Fueled by pure effort, Eian Elmer dropped 32 points, his best yet, for Miami, grabbing 12 rebounds when they needed it most. Instead of fading, Trey Perry chipped in 21 more, keepingthe rhythm alive. Brant Byers quietly filled the gaps with 15 of his own. When tension peaked inovertime, Peter Suder stepped up, landing five key points out of his 13 to tilt the momentumtoward victory.
A slim margin held through much of the matchup, driven by Ohio guard Jackson Paveletzke setting his personal best with 37 points. Not far behind, Javan Simmons poured in 30 whileAidan Hadaway chipped in 20, Ohio clawing its way back despite falling behind at the start.
Chaos took over as the extra period neared its end. With 26 seconds left, Simmons pushed Ohio ahead 108–107.
Right after, Suder stepped up, and two calm free throws restored Miami’s lead. Then came asingle point from Justin Kirby at the line, setting the scoreboard for good. One final opportunitysat in Ohio’s hands. In the closing five seconds, Paveletzke tried twice. Neither went in, especially the long three he launched just as time ran out.
Athens hadn’t seen a Miami win in fifteen long years, making this moment stick out sharply aftera stretch of narrow losses down the home stretch. Coming out on top shifted everything. TheRedHawks are now on a short list of teams that pulled off flawless regular seasons lately, something last matched when Gonzaga finished clean back in twenty twenty-one.
Even with a flawless season, Miami might not make the playoffs. Because the MAC isn’t seen asstrong nationally, experts think the RedHawks could have to take the next tournament title just to get into the NCAA field.
Facing the next chapter, Miami takes center stage as the favorite while Ohio regroups followinga tough finish marked by three defeats in a row. Conference showdowns await, bringing freshchances for one team riding high and another searching for rhythm.
Cover Photo Credits: USA Today
