Miami of Ohio's perfect season ends abruptly in the MAC quarterfinals, losing their final game and ending their flawless run after going 31-0 in the regular season. They were the last college team to lose a game this year.
We've done a lot of celebrating at Indiana this year, honoring the 1976 Hoosiers on the 50-year anniversary of their unbeaten national championship season. No one else has gone undefeated during the next 50 years.
And now we can make it 51. No one was too worried that Miami of Ohio of the Mid-American Conference would win the NCAA Tournament, but they did run through the regular season going 31-0. But on Thursday they lost to Massachusetts 87-83 in the MAC quarterfinals in Cleveland.
It was a tight game throughout, with 10 ties and 12 lead changes. The RedHawks were the fifth program this century to go undefeated during the regular season. Now, it's the second to get tripped up in its conference tournament. St. Joseph's lost to Xavier in the 2004 Atlantic 10 quarterfinals.
Miami's strength of schedule isn't good at all, but 31-0 is 31-0. The MAC hasn't gotten two teams in the field since 1999, but there's no reason to keep them out. They at least earn the chance to be in the field, staying perfect through the regular season.
They will find out their fate on Selection Sunday. The pairings release is at 6 p.m. ET on CBS.
"Our guys have earned the right, in my opinion, to play in the NCAA tournament," Miami coach Travis Steele told reporters after the game on Thursday.
Indiana went 32-0 in 1976, winning the first of Bob Knight's three national titles with the Hoosiers. They also won in 1981 and 1987.