Colin Mitchell’s epic game-winner secured Mary Washington’s first Division III men’s basketball national championship. Mitchell scored on a putback at the buzzer. Mary Washington withstood a furious Emory rally for a 75-73 victory on Sunday.
Robinson Leads the Way for Mary Washington
Kye Robinson scored 27 points for Mary Washington. Robinson made 12 of 22 shots. He also added eight rebounds, four assists and four steals.
Jay Randall scored 14. Kaden Bates totalled 10 points and 10 rebounds. Mary Washington’s Eagles are now 30-3.
Emory’s Comeback Falls Short
Ethan Fauss buried a 3-pointer to pull Emory’s Eagles even with 12 seconds left. They erased a 63-50 deficit with 4:49 remaining. Jair Knight and Fauss scored 24 apiece to lead Emory.
Mario Awasum had nine points and 19 rebounds. Ben Pearce, the school’s all-time leading scorer and the only one to top 2,000 points, missed all seven of his shots until hitting a 3-pointer with 90 seconds left. He was 7 for 11 at the foul line. Emory missed 11 of its first 12 shots, but Knight had 13 points by halftime, including a dunk with two seconds left to put Emory up 30-28. Emory’s Eagles are now 27-4.
Key Moments in the Game
- Jair Knight scored five and Fauss hit a 3-pointer to give Emory its largest lead at 43-35 three minutes into the second half.
- Robinson scored seven in a 14-2 run, and Mary Washington took a 49-45 lead.
- Mary Washington went on another 14-2 run to establish the 13-point lead that evaporated.
A Record-Breaking Season
Mary Washington set a program record for wins this season under Marcus Kahn in his 12th season. Mary Washington, located in Fredericksburg, Virginia, beat defending champion Trinity (CT) 64-61 in the semifinals. Emory, an Atlanta school, beat Christopher Newport 72-58 to advance.
Coach Jason Zimmerman’s Emory team knocked Mary Washington out of last season’s tournament 80-78.