Extend the reservation. Miami will play again Sunday.
The Hurricanes prolonged their stay in St. Louis with an emphatic win over Missouri in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, toppling the Tigers 80-66 in front of an overwhelming mob of black and gold. They now advance to the Round of 32 to play No. 2 seed Purdue on Sunday at 12:15 p.m. EST.
It was the same vintage performance Miami fans had been seeing all season long from the Canes that did the job again Friday night.
UM bludgeoned Mizzou in the interior and off the glass, and a second-half offensive awakening spearheaded by Miami’s top scorers ultimately sealed the Tigers’ defeat.
The Jai Lucas era rolls on for at least another game, as the Hurricanes’ first-year head coach continues to further etch his name into the orange and green history books with each added victory.
The 19-win improvement from the Canes’ 2024-25 season now ties the D1 all-time record.
Here are the takeaways from the Hurricanes’ triumphant Round of 64 win.
Miami’s stars came out to shine in crunch time
When Mizzou retook the lead for the first time since the opening two minutes with 9:15 remaining, the momentum had fully swung back towards the Tigers. Miami looked shell-shocked.
Trailing 54-52 with the Missouri crowd at a fever pitch, the Canes needed someone to come to the rescue.
Malik Reneau and Tre Donaldson answered the call.
Reneau kicked off the late-game resurgence, drilling a 3-point and pullup jumper back-to-back to reassert control.
The All-ACC First Team selection sank Missouri once and for all with his last bucket from the field, scoring an and-one play to stretch the margin to nine with 2:17 left.
The senior transfer from Indiana finished with a game-high 24 points and six rebounds. In the second half alone, Reneau posted 19 points on 5-6 shooting from the floor and went 100 percent from the perimeter.
Donaldson was just as lethal down the stretch, leaving no doubt by burying two silencers from beyond the arc to kill off the Tigers’ hopes. The crafty point guard ended with a nuclear box score, posting 17 points, eight rebounds, and a game-high five assists.
As the focal points of Miami’s attack, both Reneau and Donaldson had quiet first halves but took over when it mattered most. Their consistent high-volume scoring makes them elite threats that can be counted upon in endgame scenarios to secure the outcome when needed.
All-ACC Defensive Team center Ernest Udeh Jr. said the team has the utmost confidence in the duo to deliver in high-pressure situations.
“As a team, that’s what we expect of them. Two seconds left on the clock, tie game, we trust Tre and Malik in that position. It’s a testament to the work they put in behind closed doors.”
With this guard-forward tandem at the helm for the Hurricanes, UM’s squad can go as far in the NCAA Tournament as Reneau and Donaldson choose to take them.
Drastic second half turnaround saves Canes from disaster
Despite leading 27-26 at the break, the Hurricanes had their worst first half shooting performance of the entire year, going 10-for-33 (30.3%). With Mizzou heading to the locker room on a 9-0 run, Miami needed to make adjustments immediately, or else its advantage was in serious danger of slipping away.
Fortunately for the Canes, everything began to click coming out of halftime.
Their efficiency skyrocketed across the board, hitting shots more frequently from everywhere on the floor.
After a dismal first 20 minutes — 30.3% from the field, 33.3% from 3-point range and 37.5% at the line — the offense exploded to go 59.3%, 58.3% and 66.7%, respectively, over the remaining portion of the game.
Reneau said his second half bounce-back stemmed from learning to relax after getting too caught up in the moment at the start.
“Starting the game, I was rushing a lot of my shots and missing point-blank layups I usually don’t miss. I think I was just overhyped and too excited. It’s been a while since I’ve been here, so it was just being able to calm down on the court and relax and then take my time on my shots.”
The complete turnaround from one half to the next proves that this squad has the ability to win ugly when needed, and that it can overcome any amount of adversity no matter how much they initially struggle.
That being said, Miami cannot afford to have another sluggish start with tougher opponents on deck in the tournament. No. 2 seed Purdue will be much more likely to punish Miami for its deficiencies on Sunday, making it imperative that it brings that second-half offensive firepower from the opening tip.
Free-throw shooting has persistently been a glaring issue with this year’s roster that has been hard to overlook.
Although they compensated with volume, earning 11 more attempts at the stripe than the Tigers, UM still only converted its foul shots at a troubling 59% clip.
While it did not cost the team the win on Friday night, there’s a possibility it may at some point down the line.
UM can shut down anyone in the interior
Miami once again held firm in their identity, imposing their will inside the paint with the frontcourt presence of Shelton Henderson, Udeh, and Reneau.
The Hurricanes dictated the pace from start to finish by controlling the glass, hauling in 16 more rebounds than Missouri. They pounded Mizzou on the offensive boards, 16-7, extending possessions and turning them into a 19-2 edge in second-chance points.
Even more remarkable, however, was their effectiveness on defense.
The Tigers’ All-SEC Second Team forward Mark Mitchell stood out as the primary offensive weapon for Missouri heading into March Madness. He had been their centerpiece the entire season, leading his squad in points, rebounds and assists.
Mitchell’s dominant play had drawn comparisons to Malik Reneau in the lead-up to Friday’s showdown, hailed for his similar dynamism down low and ability to draw fouls while driving to the rim.
But his shot-making abilities were no match for Miami’s blistering defense in the post.
Mizzou’s top-scorer was neutralized on the night, making only four field goals. Only one came from inside the arc, while the others were forced out to the perimeter. The rest of Mitchell’s points were from free-throws.
Miami’s success in shutting down the opposing side’s top threat is an encouraging sign moving forward.
Purdue’s high-powered trio of Braden Smith, Trey Kaufmann-Renn and Fletcher Loyer presents a more difficult challenge, but the Canes have now shown they can contain star-level production on multiple occasions.
The battle unfolds on Sunday, with a trip to the Sweet 16 in San Jose on the line.
