A Friday night in South Beach can always be fun, but today might be a little bit sweeter after Miami (FL)'s men's and women's basketball teams each picked up Sweet 16 wins on Friday, March 24.
The Hurricanes made history as both teams advanced, becoming the first school to have its men's and women's teams reach the Elite Eight in the same year, with neither team a top-four seed. And it happened on the same day at that.
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On the women's side, No. 9 Miami's 70-65 win over No. 4 Villanova made the Hurricanes the second No. 9 seed in women's tournament history to advance to the Elite Eight, joining Arkansas in 1998. It's the first time in program history that Miami's women have reached the Elite Eight after an improbable tournament run.
The Hurricanes nearly blew a 21-point lead in the Sweet 16, but held off the nation's leading scorer, Maddy Siegrist, just enough for the win. Before that, Miami knocked off a No. 1 seed in the second round and prevailed in the first round after trailing by 17 points.
On the men's side, No. 5 Miami defeated No. 1 Houston 89-75 after scoring 42 first-half points on the second-ranked scoring defense in the country. It's the second straight Elite Eight appearance for the Hurricanes after never reaching the round prior.
It's the second time deja-vu struck in Miami in the 2023 tournaments. Both the men's and women's teams had to defeat a higher-ranked Indiana team — No. 4 and No. 1, respectively — to reach the Sweet 16.
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Now that Miami's basketball has reached the Elite Eight together, the programs are just six wins away from achieving a feat typically reserved for programs like UConn in 2004 and 2014 — bringing home a men's and women's national championship to the same school.
| Year | School | Men's Finish | Women's Finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | South Carolina | Final Four | National Champ |
| 2016 | Syracuse | Final Four | National Champ |
| 2014 | UConn | National Champ | National Champ |
| 2013 | Louisville | National Champ* | Runner-up |
| 2011 | UConn | National Champ | Semifinals |
| 2009 | UConn | Final Four | National Champ |
| 2006 | LSU | Final Four | Runner-up |
| 2005 | Michigan State | Final Four | Runner-up |
| 2004 | UConn | National Champ | National Champ |
| 2003 | Texas | Final Four | Final Four |
| 2002 | Oklahoma | Final Four | Runner-up |
| 1999 | Duke | National Champ | Runner-up |
| 1983 | Georgia | Final Four | Final Four |
*Louisville's 2013 men's title was vacated
While both Huskies teams could join the Hurricanes in the Elite Eight tomorrow, Friday is all about the Hurricanes, with fans everywhere enjoying the Miami success. Fans ranging from the student body to Grammy-Award-winning artist Lil Wayne.
