Miami Redhawks guard Peter Suder (5) reacts after hitting a jump shot past Ohio Bobcats guard Jesse Burris (21) in the second half of an NCAA basketball game at Millett Hall in Oxford, Ohio, Friday, Feb. 13, 2026. No. 19 Miami (Ohio) looks to continue its historic run Friday night in Athens, Ohio, when it visits archrival Ohio in a Mid-American Conference rematch to close the regular season.
The RedHawks (30-0, 17-0 MAC), the nation’s only undefeated team, became the 15th team in Division I men’s basketball history to win their first 30 games of a season when they defeated Toledo 74-72 on Tuesday in Oxford, Ohio.
Ohio (15-15, 9-8) suffered back-to-back losses, falling 94-82 at UMass in Amherst, Massachusetts, on Sunday.
Miami was in the national spotlight this week after former Auburn coach-turned-TV analyst Bruce Pearl criticized the RedHawks for their undefeated record, saying they don’t deserve to be in the NCAA Tournament unless they win the MAC Tournament title next week in Cleveland.
Miami answered those criticisms by defeating Toledo to win its 22nd regular season MAC Championship, a conference record in 21 years.
“I like Bruce,” Miami coach Travis Steele said. “That’s right. Look, Bruce is a great guy. I’m not calling Bruce and asking for his opinion. I don’t care what he says. We control our own destiny. Let’s prepare the right path. Let’s focus on the right things.”
The two teams met in Miami on February 13 and the RedHawks won 90-74 in the second half. Five different RedHawks scored in double figures, led by Brant Byers with 21 points and Peter Suder with 20 points.
Suder earned his 19th win Tuesday against the Rockets. Antwone Woolfolk added 14 points and six rebounds.
“We need to move to Ohio quickly,” Steele said. “We still have a lot of season left, but this is a big deal. It’s amazing. I’m so happy for our guys. That’s been one of the goals we’ve had since the first year of winning the regular season title. Check it out.”
The RedHawks are aiming to become the first MAC team to finish the regular season undefeated in both conference play and overall.
“I want to finish this season undefeated,” Steele added. “I want to win at Ohio. It’s a rivalry game. It’s a players’ game. Our players will be excited to play. I know their players will be excited to play, too. And can we win the MAC Tournament in Cleveland? We don’t want to leave any doubt. There’s no question about who the hell we are.”
In the final play, Ohio led 73-72 until UMass scored 11 straight points and closed the game on a 22-9 run.
Jackson Paveletke, who scored 22 points against Miami in the first meeting, led the Bobcats with 24 points and seven assists against the Minutemen. Java Simmons had 16 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists. Kiir Kuany made his first career start, scoring 13 points and grabbing 5 rebounds.
–Field level media
