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The excitement of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament isn’t limited to Division I schools.
The University of Mary Washington and Emory University’s Division III national championship game went down to the wire. The Mary Washington Eagles had the ball in the final seconds and were struggling to get a last-second shot on 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 guard Kye Robinson made a missed shot when he fell out of bounds. Robinson’s shot missed, but forward Colin Mitchell was there to rebound the ball into the basket as time expired.
Mitchell ran back onto the court as his teammates ran toward him to celebrate the victory.
“We were confident Kye would get there,” he said via Yahoo Sports. “And he got there and hit a good shot. In the right place, at the right time.”
Robinson admitted he didn’t make “the easiest shot possible.”
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Emory Eagles forward AJ Harris runs down the court against Mary Washington Eagles guard Hasan Hammad on 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 feel like I was making it a little difficult for myself. And then once I felt my leg bend a little bit, I was like, ‘Oh, I just have to pick it up.’ Definitely the best missed shot of my life.”
Seconds before Mitchell’s game-winning play, Emory’s Ethan Fauss hit a game-tying 3-pointer with 12 seconds left. Fauss and Jair Knight were the catalysts that put Emory up eight points three minutes into the second half. It was Emory’s biggest advantage.
Mary Washington would go on a 14-2 run to get back into the game.
Robinson scored 27 points on 12-of-22 shooting. He had eight rebounds, four assists and four steals in the victory. Jay Randall scored 14 points and Kaden Bates added 10.
Knight and Fauss scored 24 points for Emory. Ben Pearce, Emory’s all-time leading scorer who eclipsed 2,000 career points, was held without a shot until he hit a 3-pointer with 90 seconds left. He was 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 on the season. It was a program record for wins. The team, which lost to Emory in the tournament last year, eliminated defending champions Trinty in the semifinals.
