Finally, it is March, and for many entertainment lovers, it is their favorite time of the year. March is the month that boasts the best basketball tournament in the world; March is home to March Madness. The madness began on Selection Sunday when teams were being seeded, anxious to see who their opponents might be. In March, it is win or go home, so people have something to play for every day, not knowing the outcome of their season. One team in particular that felt this pressure was the Miami (OH) Redhawks.
The Redhawks had a historic regular season, finishing with thirty-one wins and zero losses. Unfortunately, the UMass Minutemen upset them 87-83 in the Mid-Atlantic Conference tournament quarterfinals, spoiling their undefeated record.
Regarding the devastating loss, sophomore Aidan Holmes exclaims, “It was upsetting seeing such a talented squad lose so early on in the tournament. They were the clear favorites to win, and I am worried about their March Madness hopes.”
https://classroom.google.com/w/Nzg0Mjc3ODc0ODU5/t/allhttps://docs.google.com/document/d/14NJUNOUqS8CA-zg-8cTfuDXSXaq69d5ofbIhjPzsuRY/edit?tab=t.wab1w3l4fw2ihttps://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1mzbwLRsaQAifDOIX5zRFobAkEu8ztFJaSDyjASE-Adc/edithttps://myshakespeare.com/hamlet/act-1-scene-1He had a right to be worried. The Redhawks were selected, but they first had to win a play-in game if they wanted to keep their season alive. Many basketball fans and players disagreed with this decision, arguing that regular-season achievements are meaningless if the Redhawks are denied a spot in the tournament. Critics believed the Redhawks did not deserve a spot because of their weak schedule and their 344th ranking among 365 Division I teams, but the MAC commissioner thought otherwise.
Confident in his conference’s abilities, MAC commissioner Jon A. Steinbrecher said, “We have a number of schools that have trouble getting quality games, so people aren’t willing to play them.”
It was not the Redhawks’ fault that they had a weak schedule; teams were unwilling to play them. It is difficult to boost the strength of schedule when the top schools in the country shy away from the competition because a loss would derail their season and self-esteem. However, the Redhawks would have a chance to prove their worth against SMU in the tournament play-in game.
Miami (OH) dominated the game, winning 89-79. Junior Eian Elmer stepped up, scoring 22 points and shooting an impressive six for nine from three-point range. Sophomore Brant Byers added 19 points with four three-pointers, and sophomore Luke Skaljac poured in 17 more points. The Redhawks finished the game 16-for-41, or 39 percent from three, an impressive number for the young group.
The SMU Mustangs also had a few players with impressive showings. Freshman Jaden Tooms scored 20 points, coupled with 14 rebounds. Senior Jaron Pierre Jr. scored 18, and senior Boopie Miller poured in 15 more.
Hingham Sophomore Graham Frank said, “The Mustangs squad was lined with scorers, but it was not enough to combat the electric Miami (OH) team.”
The Redhawks will look to make a run this year, starting against a six-seed Tennessee Friday at 4:25 P.M. ET. Based on their regular-season heroics, the world will be excited to see what they will be able to do against tougher competition.
