NCAA March Madness Central

The Hurricanes’ remarkable postseason run came to an end in the NCAA Round of 32 as the Miami fell, 69-79, to the second-seeded Purdue Boilermakers in St. Louis, Mo.

Miami jumped out to a 10-6 lead before Purdue went on a 13-2 run. The Hurricanes answered with a 9-0 run to take a 36-29 lead, but Purdue hit three straight 3-pointers before a Tre Donaldson runner gave Miami a 40-38 halftime edge.

After a Malik Reneau layup, Purdue used a 9-0 run and led by as many as 11. The Canes cut it to four, 73-69, but the Boilermakers hit their final six free throws to seal the win.

Shelton Henderson led Miami with 18 points and eight rebounds, while Reneau added 16, Donaldson had 13, and Tru Washington finished with 11.

The Miami men’s basketball team opened the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament with a hard-fought 80-66 victory over the 10th-seeded Missouri Tigers Friday night.

After taking a narrow 27-26 lead into halftime, the Hurricanes battled through multiple lead changes early in the second half before taking control. A dominant 11-0 run, led by Malik Reneau and Shelton Henderson, gave Miami separation and a late 7-0 run sealed the victory.

Reneau led all scorers with 24 points, 19 of which came in the second half, and added six rebounds and three assists. Donaldson finished with 17 points and was 5-of-7 on 3-pointers as Henderson registered 15 points. Ernest Udeh Jr. hauled in a game-high 10 rebounds.

NCAA PRE-TOURNAMENT NOTES

• The Hurricanes roll into the tournament with a 25-8, 13-5 ACC record.
• Three Canes earned All-ACC honors: Malik Reneau (First Team), Tre Donaldson (Second Team) and Ernest Udeh Jr. (Defensive Team)
• Head coach Jai Lucas’ first season marks the second-fastest first-time head coach in ACC history to reach 20 wins (Bill Guthridge)
• Miami is making its 13th appearance in the Big Dance and first since its historic run to the Final Four in 2023.
• The Hurricanes hold a 15-12 overall record in the tournament and are 7-5 in the first round.
• This marks the second time the Hurricanes have been named a No. 7 seed. Miami was the seventh seed in the South Region of the 2008 NCAA Tournament in which it defeated St. Mary’s, 78-64, in the first round before falling to No. 2 Texas, 75-72.
• The Hurricanes hold a 2-0 record against SEC opponents in the Big Dance.
• Miami is 0-1 against Missouri in the NCAA Tournament, falling to the Tigers, 93-80, in the first round in 2002.
• The Hurricanes are shooting 50.1% from the floor, which tops the ACC and is 12th nationally.