ATHENS, Ohio, March 6 (Reuters) - The Miami University RedHawks men's basketball team finished their Mid-American Conference (MAC) regular season undefeated at 31-0 following a 110-108 overtime win against rival Ohio University Bobcats at the Convocation Center.[1][2]

Eian Elmer scored a career-high 32 points to lead Miami (Ohio), while guard Peter Suder added 13 points, including five in overtime.[1][3] Jackson Paveletzke tallied a career-high 37 points for Ohio.[2][3]

The game, the regular-season finale for both teams in the MAC East Division, saw Ohio's potential game-winning buzzer-beater by Paveletzke rim out at the end of regulation.[1][2]

Miami (Ohio), based in Oxford, Ohio, became one of few NCAA Division I programs to complete an undefeated regular season in the 21st century.[4] The RedHawks secured the No. 1 seed in the MAC tournament.[1][2]

The RedHawks open the MAC tournament quarterfinals on Thursday at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, Ohio.[1][5] A win would earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Division I tournament; a loss would require an at-large berth, which is challenging for mid-major programs.[5]

"An undefeated season, it has to matter, right?" Miami athletic director David Sayler said. "Otherwise, why wouldn't we just play three days in (the MAC tournament) and the winner goes to the (NCAA) tournament and forget the regular season if you're not going to take an undefeated team?"[3]

Sources

1. Miami RedHawks athletics. "Men's Basketball: RedHawks Edge Ohio in OT, Finish 31-0." March 6, 2026. https://miamiredhawks.com/news/2026/3/6/mens-basketball-redhawks-finish-perfect-regular-season.aspx
2. MAC official site. "Boxscore: Miami (Ohio) 110, Ohio 108 (OT)." March 6, 2026. https://mac-sports.com/news/2026/3/6/mens-basketball-miami-vs-ohio-recap.aspx
3. Associated Press. "Miami (Ohio) survives Ohio in OT thriller, caps perfect regular season." March 7, 2026. https://apnews.com/article/college-basketball-miami-ohio-undefeated-mac-2026
4. ESPN. "Miami (Ohio) men's basketball 2025-26 schedule and results." Accessed March 7, 2026. https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/team/schedule/_/id/2235/miami-ohio-redhawks
5. MAC official site. "2026 MAC Men's Basketball Tournament bracket." March 7, 2026. https://mac-sports.com/news/2026/3/7/mens-basketball-2026-tournament-bracket.aspx