On March 20th, tonight's first-round NCAA tournament matchup pits 7th-seeded Miami against 10th-seeded Missouri at 10.10 p.m. Eastern Time in St. St. Hunter.
Louis, Miami enters with a 25-8 record, while Missouri stands at 20 wins and 12 losses. This 7-10 clash could be one of the day's closest games, despite the late tip-off. Both teams head into the tournament on shaky notes. Miami reached the Final Four in 2023, but missed the field the last two years, dropping two of its final three games.
Missouri has made just four tourneys in 13 seasons, losing its last three straight and five of eight. Miami boasts a veteran squad with size, ranking 12th nationally in field goal percentage at 50%. Missouri struggles defensively, allowing opponents nearly 37% from three-point range, and it turns the ball over too often. The big edge goes to Missouri, thanks to the St.
Louis crowd, close to home for the Tigers, and playing on their time zone after 9 p.m. Central. Miami scores freely, rarely held under 74 points lately, but Missouri thrives when limiting foes below that mark. Expect a nail-biter, with Missouri pulling out a 75-73 win on crowd energy, advancing to face either Purdue or Queens in the second round right there in St.
Louis.