Miami continued to boost its NCAA Tournament resume with an 85-76 win at Syracuse on Saturday. The Hurricanes have four wins and one loss on the road and one victory and two defeats on neutral sites in 2025-26. Miami was projected as a 10th seed in the updated ESPN Bracketology on Friday.
The win was critical for Miami to end a two-game losing streak. Miami lost at Clemson last Saturday and suffered a bad home loss to Florida State on Tuesday night. The Hurricanes improved to 16-4 overall and 5-2 in the ACC with the win over Syracuse.
Miami previously had road wins at Mississippi and in the ACC at Wake Forest and Notre Dame. The three early ACC road wins are impressive for first-year head coach Jai Lucas. Miami has only five road games remaining before the ACC Tournament in March.
Miami improved to 3-0 in the NCAA Net Ratings quadrant two. The Hurricanes are 1-3 in quadrant one. Miami is 40th in KenPom. The Miami strength of schedule is 152nd in KenPom. Miami's 345th non-conference strength of schedule could be used against them as a bubble team.
Fast start sustains Miami throughout the game
Miami scored the first nine points of the game against Syracuse and never trailed. Syracuse eventually tied the game at 27 with 4:06 remaining in the first half. Miami answered with the next seven points and led 41-36 at halftime.
Syracuse was able to get within one possession several times in the second half, but Miami always had an answer. Miami gradually pulled away and took its biggest lead at 69-56 on a Tre Donaldson jumper with 9:50 remaining in the second half.
After Donaldson struggled in the two previous games, Miami head coach Jai Lucas started freshman Dante Allen. Malik Reneau led Miami with 20 points, seven rebounds and five assists. Donaldson and Shelton Henderson scored 16 and Tru Washington had 14 for Miami.
Miami returns home to host Stanford on Wednesday and California next Saturday. Three of the next four games for Miami are at home. After California, Miami is at Boston College on February 7 and hosts North Carolina on February 10 in an Orange Out Game.