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Excitement for the NCAA men’s basketball tournaments isn’t limited to Division I schools.
The University of Mary Washington and Emory University Division III national championship game went down to the wire. The Mary Washington Eagles had the ball in the final seconds and struggled to put a last-second shot into the net against the Emory Eagles.
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The Mary Washington Eagles celebrate after defeating the Emory Eagles in the NCAA Division III men’s basketball championship game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on April 5, 2026. (Christine Tannous/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
Mary Washington goalie Kye Robinson took a foul shot as it fell out of bounds. Robinson’s shot missed, but forward Colin Mitchell was there to rebound the ball and put it in the basket as time expired.
Mitchell ran back up the field as his teammates ran towards him to celebrate the victory.
“We trusted Kye to get there,” he said via Yahoo Sports. “And he got there and took a good shot. Right place, right time.”
Robinson admitted he didn’t take “the easiest shot possible.”
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Emory Eagles forward AJ Harris rushes the court against Mary Washington Eagles guard Hasan Hammad Sunday, April 5, 2026, during the NCAA Division III men’s basketball championship game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. (Christine Tannous/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
“I felt like I was making it a little difficult for myself. And then once I felt my leg buckle a little bit, I was like, ‘Oh, I just have to get it up.’ Definitely the best missed shot of my life.”
Seconds before Mitchell’s game-winning putback, Emory’s Ethan Fauss scored a game-tying 3-pointer with 12 seconds remaining. Fauss and Jair Knight were the catalyst that put Emory up eight points three minutes into the second half. It was Emory’s largest lead.
Mary Washington would go on a 14-2 run to get back in the game.
Robinson had 27 points on 12 of 22 shooting. He had eight rebounds, four assists and four steals in the victory. Jay Randall had 14 points and Kaden Bates added 10.
Knight and Fauss had 24 points for Emory. Ben Pearce, Emory’s all-time leading scorer who eclipsed 2,000 points in his career, was held in check until he made a 3-pointer with 90 seconds remaining. He made 7 of 11 from the free throw line.
The Mary Washington Eagles celebrate after defeating the Emory Eagles in the NCAA Division III men’s basketball championship game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on April 5, 2026. (Christine Tannous/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
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Mary Washington’s victory gave the team 30 for the season. It was a program record for wins. The team, which lost to Emory in last year’s tournament, knocked off defending champions Trinty in the semifinals.
