Miami (OH) rallies in 2nd half to knock off SMU in First Four

The Miami (Ohio) storybook season continues.

Junior forward Eian Elmer scored 23 points to lead the RedHawks past SMU 89-79 in the NCAA Tournament's First Four on Wednesday.

Miami will move on to face No. 6 seed Tennessee on Friday.

The Mustangs led 49-48 when the RedHawks responded with a 15-1 run, including two threes by Icelandic forward Almar Atlason, to break open a double-digit lead for the first time in the game. Miami hit a total of 16 threes, 10 of which came in the first half.

SMU trimmed the deficit to seven but couldn't fully overcome Miami's momentum.

Jaden Toombs recorded a team-high 20 points for the Mustangs, while Jaron Pierre added 18.

Miami last won an NCAA Tournament game in 1999, when it reached the Midwest Region semifinals before falling to Kentucky.