Division III national championship ends on wild buzzer-beater as Mary Washington wins first title

NCAA Men’s Basketball tourney excitement isn’t constricted to Division I schools.

The University of Mary Washington and Emory University’s Division III nationalist title crippled came down to the wire. The Mary Washington Eagles had the shot successful the last seconds and were scrambling to get last-second changeable into the nett against the Emory Eagles.

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The Mary Washington Eagles observe aft defeating the Emory Eagles successful the NCAA Division III men's hoops title crippled astatine Gainbridge Fieldhouse successful Indianapolis connected April 5, 2026. (Christine Tannous/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

Mary Washington defender Kye Robinson enactment up a fallaway changeable arsenic helium fell retired of bounds. Robinson’s changeable missed, but guardant Colin Mitchell was determination to rebound the shot and enactment it into the handbasket arsenic clip expired.

Mitchell ran backmost up the tribunal arsenic his teammates ran toward him to observe the win.

"We trusted Kye to get to the spot," helium said, via Yahoo Sports. "And helium got determination and changeable a bully shot. Right place, close time."

Robinson admitted helium didn’t instrumentality the "easiest changeable possible."

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Emory Eagles guardant AJ Harris rushes up the tribunal against Mary Washington Eagles defender Hasan Hammad connected Sunday, April 5, 2026, during the NCAA Division III men's hoops title crippled astatine Gainbridge Fieldhouse successful Indianapolis. (Christine Tannous/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

"I consciousness similar I was making it benignant of hard connected myself. And past erstwhile I felt my limb buckle a small bit, I was like, 'Oh, I conscionable person to get it up.' Definitely the champion missed changeable of my life."

Seconds earlier Mitchell’s game-winning putback, Emory’s Ethan Fauss deed a game-tying 3-pointer with 12 seconds left. Fauss and Jair Knight were the catalyst successful putting Emory up 8 points 3 minutes into the 2nd half. It was Emory’s largest lead.

Mary Washington would spell connected a 14-2 tally to get backmost into the game.

Robinson had 27 points connected 12-of-22 shooting. He had 8 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals successful the win. Jay Randall had 14 points and Kaden Bates added 10.

Knight and Fauss had 24 points for Emory. Ben Pearce, Emory’s all-time starring scorer who eclipsed 2,000 points successful his career, was held without a made changeable until helium deed a 3-pointer with 90 seconds left. He went 7-of-11 from the free-throw line.

The Mary Washington Eagles observe aft defeating the Emory Eagles successful the NCAA Division III men's hoops title crippled astatine Gainbridge Fieldhouse successful Indianapolis connected April 5, 2026. (Christine Tannous/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

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Mary Washington’s triumph gave the squad 30 for the season. It was a programme grounds for wins. The team, which mislaid to Emory successful the tourney past year, eliminated the defending champions, Trinty, successful the semifinals.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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