Perfect No More: UMass Wears Down Miami, Rallies From 11 Down To Beat RedHawks, 87-83

Strength won out Thursday and it ended Miami’s bid for perfection heading into the NCAA tournament.

Leonardo Bettiol scored 25 and Marcus Banks added 18 as UMass rallied from 11 points down in the final eight minutes to stun previously unbeaten No. 20 Miami, 87-83, Thursday in a Mid-American Conference quarterfinal in Cleveland, Ohio.

Jayden Ndjigue added 16 and Daniel Hankins-Sanford chipped in with 11 as UMass (17-15) advanced to the MAC semifinals in their first year in the conference.

Brant Byers had 17 points and Eian Elmer added 16 for Miami (31-1), which loss for the first time and now must wait to see if they receive an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament when berths are awarded Sunday night.

UMass won the game by dominating in the paint, outscoring the RedHawks, 53-30, in the paint and 23-8 in second-chance points. The Minutemen also out rebounded the RedHawks, 41-24.

When it appeared Miami was ready to put away the Minutemen by building an 11-point lead, 69-58, UMass answered with a 13-2 spurt, drawing even on a Jaden Ndjigue jumper with 4:47 remaining.

The remainder of the game was back-and-forth. Luka Damjanac grabbed an offensive rebound and put home a jumper with 2:38 left to give UMass an 81-79 lead. Peter Suder answered with a jumper for an 81-81 tie. But Hankins-Sanford’s layup with 29 seconds remaining put Miami ahead for good. Luke Skaljac committed a turnover on an attempted pass into the lane and Banks hit a pair of free throws with 18 seconds remaining. Byers was fouled while attempting a three with nine seconds remaining. Byers could hit only two of the three as UMass ran out the clock on Miami’s bid for a perfect season.

The first half featured a wild finish. It appeared the two teams would go to halftime tied when Suder missed a three at the buzzer. But just before the buzzer, Byers was called for an offensive foul, giving the Minutemen the ball under the Miami basket with a half-second remaining.

But UMass guard K’Jei Parker threw the ball the length of the court without anyone touching the ball, giving Miami the ball under their own basket with a chance to score. The RedHawks capitalized when Luke Skaljac made a perfect pass to Antwone Woolfolk cutting to the basket for a layup at the buzzer and a 39-37 Miami lead at the half.

Early on, Bettiol helped UMass keep t it close with Miami. Bettiol’s layup with 12:22 left in the first half put the Minutemen up, 17-13. Bettiol finished the first half with 12 points.

Back-to-back threes from Justin Kirby and Suder gave the RedHawks a 10-point lead for the first time in the game with 14:32 left in the second half.

UMass got into foul trouble early in the second half and Miami entered the bonus with 12:04 remaining.

UMass closed to within 56-52 on a Marcus Banks three with 11:44 remaining. But Miami answered with a 13-6 spurt, capped by an Eian Elmer baseline three to take a 69-58 lead with 8:33 remaining.