Miami beats SMU 77-69 behind Malik Reneau’s double-double and 17 from Tre Donaldson, while Jaron Pierre Jr. drops 27 in a tough Mustangs loss.
DALLAS - No. 22 Miami basketball walked into Moody Coliseum Wednesday night with momentum and left Dallas with a statement win.
The Hurricanes knocked off SMU 77-69 in an ACC showdown, securing a crucial double-bye in the upcoming ACC Tournament while continuing one of the most impressive turnarounds in college basketball this season.
Miami improved to 24-6 overall and 13-4 in conference play, while SMU slipped to 19-11 and 8-9 in the ACC.
For the Mustangs, the loss stings even more because their stars showed up.
Jaron Pierre Jr. delivered a monster night, pouring in 27 points and drilling six 3-pointers to lead SMU’s offense. The senior guard continues to climb the NCAA career scoring charts and now sits at 2,125 career points - among the top active scorers in Division I basketball.
Boopie Miller added 21 points and extended his remarkable streak of double-digit scoring games to 37 straight, the longest run for an SMU player in more than two decades.
But Miami’s balance proved too much.
Tre Donaldson led the Hurricanes with 17 points while Malik Reneau controlled the paint with a gritty double-double of 12 points and 11 rebounds. Tru Washington chipped in 15 points and freshman sharpshooter Noam Dovrat provided a huge spark from beyond the arc.
Dovrat knocked down four 3-pointers for the second straight game, including a pair of momentum-changing shots late in the first half that helped Miami create separation.
The Hurricanes never trailed in the game and slowly built their advantage throughout the night. At one point in the second half, Miami stretched the lead to 16 points before SMU made one final push behind Pierre’s hot shooting.
The Mustangs had a chance to tighten the game late, but Miami’s defense slammed the door. Center Ernest Udeh Jr. delivered a clutch block in the final minutes and finished with 10 rebounds to anchor the Hurricanes inside.
SMU now turns its attention to a road trip to Florida State before heading to the ACC Tournament, where postseason hopes are still very much alive.