Unflappable-- And Unforgettable

Tous Les Jours bakery in Oxford is proud to bring you this week's Front Row Feature.
Coffee, cakes and pastries freshly baked every day.

Visit Cakes, Coffee, Pastries, Bakery in Oxford, OH | Tous les Jours for more information.
- - -

An epic regular season for Miami Men's Basketball deserved an epic conclusion.

Friday night in Athens was all of that and then some.

In fact, you could say Miami's 110-108 overtime win at Ohio was fittingly…well…perfect.

The best-shooting team in the country racked up 110 points in 45 minutes. (And how about 65.5% shooting in the first half to set the tone?)

A team that's found ways to win close contests over and over and over again prevailed by two points for the third game in a row.

A ballclub known for balanced scoring saw five players in double figures.

A group that's grabbed national attention and made nightly appearances on ESPN seem routine took on the biggest stage imaginable for its biggest game since…well…ever?

A program that's piled up road wins like they're going out of style went into the hostile den of its fiercest conference rival —okay, 'hostile' may not be a strong enough word— and silenced everyone…the students…the fans…the doubters…everyone.

(Sidebar: It's hard to win on the road at any level of basketball, from peewee to the pros. Period. Doing it 14 times in a row across four months? Ridiculous.)

Just like the RedHawks had 30 times in their 30 previous games, when the final buzzer sounded, Miami had once again found a way to remain undefeated. Eian Elmer postgame celebration at Ohio

Eian Elmer was a star. Career-high 32 points? Check. Season-high 12 rebounds? Check. And don't forget the LeBron-esque block on OU's Jackson Paveletzke that sparked a transition break for Miami's final field goal of the contest in overtime.

Peter Suder stuffed the stat sheet. Brant Byers filled it up from distance. Trey Perry exploded for 21 points (almost four times his season average). Justin Kirby was a spark. Antwone Woolfolk was a force. The list could go on – Miami's depth was on full display from start to finish (notably putting up 34 bench points to just 13 for OU).

No one thought it would be easy. The hardest win is the next one. And in a building where Miami hadn't come out on top in 15 years…in a Battle of the Bricks that meant so much to both teams…with history on the line…nothing could be taken for granted. So even when the Red and White inched ahead to a 59-48 margin in the second half, it's no surprise that another Ohio run was coming.

But as head coach Travis Steele has said all year, his team is 'unflappable.'

17 lead changes. An instant classic. And every time the RedHawks needed an answer, they found one.

Every single time.

There are more chapters to write for the outright MAC champs. Another trophy on the line in Cleveland next week. The Big Dance beyond that.

But no matter what happens as the postseason unfolds, don't lose sight of what the regular season meant. Take an extra moment and enjoy what March 6, 2026 meant in the big picture. (And not just because Miami produced its milestone 1,500th win as a program, a footnote that nearly gets lost in all of the other streaks and stats these RedHawks have amassed.)

For the rest of time, for all of college basketball history, when the greatest seasons in the sport are discussed, this one will be on the list. How's that for perspective? The world has taken notice. The record books are in the process of being rewritten. The Miami RedHawks finished the regular season 31-0.

Trey Perry at Ohio

Frame the box score. Get a tattoo. Buy a T-shirt. Start a scrapbook. Collect the confetti. Reserve a tournament ticket. However you want to celebrate. This is the kind of once-in-a-lifetime season we're not only fortunate enough to experience in real time, but with highlights and accomplishments we'll still be talking about generations from now.

"Do you remember where you were when Suder and Elmer hit those buzzer-beaters against Buffalo?"

"I was at the sold-out game against _______ and I've never heard it that loud."

"Trey Perry. Ballgame."

And on and on it goes, all the way through Friday night:

"The RedHawk revival ends in a perfect regular season."

So many moments. So many memories.

Forever and always, this unflappable team has guaranteed itself the right to be…

Unforgettable.

Top-seeded Miami opens MAC Tournament play on Thursday, March 12 at 11 a.m. against eighth-seeded Massachusetts at Rocket Arena in Cleveland; tickets are available here.

Miami Ohio University Athletics

Related News

Players Mentioned

Brant Byers

Eian Elmer

Justin Kirby

Trey Perry

Peter Suder

Antwone Woolfolk

Related Videos