
Miami (Ohio) is the red hot team no college basketball fans expected this season, and they aren’t slowing down any time soon, it seems.
Tuesday night’s matchup vs. Kent State proved to be a difficult challenge for the RedHawks in the second half, but one that they could still overcome. After going down big in the first half, the Golden Flashes outscored Miami 58–44 in the final 20 minutes of regulation, nearly pulling off the upset. Kent State led 92–90 with less than 10 seconds remaining, when the RedHawks’ Luke Skaljac tied the game on a layup, sending it to overtime.
Ultimately, Miami charged back in overtime to defeat Kent State 107–101. The RedHawks scored six unanswered points to open up OT, and the Golden Flashes weren’t able to keep pace. Miami is now 20–0 on the season with the tight win.
Sweeney: Five Burning Men’s College Basketball Questions That Will Shape Rest of the Season
20-0!
— ESPN (@espn) January 21, 2026
Miami (OH) wins an OT thriller at Kent State to remain one of the nation’s three unbeatens 🤯 pic.twitter.com/sSEjqgaaUr
This win comes after the RedHawks were ranked in the AP Top 25 for the first time since 1999, when Wally Szczerbiak led the program to the Sweet 16.
Miami is one of three college teams who remain undefeated this far into the season. Top-ranked Arizona is 18–0, as is No. 7 Nebraska.
More College Basketball on Sports Illustrated
- Tom Izzo Really Wants One of His Players to Play His 99-Year-Old Mother in Hoops
- UCLA's Mick Cronin Claims Big Ten Doesn't Care About Basketball, Cites Bad Schedule
- Ex-Alabama Star Who Played in the G League Pushing for Additional NCAA Eligibility
- Kansas Coach Bill Self Gives Update After Brief Health Scare
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Miami (Ohio) Survives on the Road in Overtime to Move to Perfect 20–0 on Season.