Mary Washington Clinches Division III Title with Buzzer-Beating Putback
Indianapolis — Mary Washington beat Emory 75-73 Sunday to claim its first NCAA Division III championship.
Colin Mitchell grabbed a rebound and hit a buzzer-beating putback to seal the win.
Game-deciding sequence
With 12 seconds remaining, Ethan Fauss drilled a 3-pointer to knot the score at 73.
Mary Washington had led 63-50 with 4:49 left before Emory staged its rally.
Momentum swings
Emory opened the second half strong and held a 43-35 edge early on.
Jair Knight and Ethan Fauss fueled that surge with timely scoring and energy.
Mary Washington answered with two 14-2 runs that pushed a double-digit lead midway through the period.
Key performers
- Kye Robinson — 27 points, 12-of-22 shooting, eight rebounds, four assists, four steals.
- Colin Mitchell — game-winner at the buzzer.
- Jay Randall — 14 points for Mary Washington.
- Kaden Bates — 10 points and 10 rebounds, a double-double.
- Jair Knight — 24 points for Emory, including 13 by halftime.
- Ethan Fauss — 24 points and the late tying 3-pointer.
- Mario Awasum — nine points and 19 rebounds for Emory.
- Ben Pearce — scoreless on seven attempts until a 3 with 90 seconds left; 7-for-11 at the foul line.
Context and milestones
Mary Washington finished the season 30-3 and set a program record for wins.
Coach Marcus Kahn led the program in his 12th season.
Emory, coached by Jason Zimmerman, closed at 27-4. Zimmerman’s team had eliminated Mary Washington last season, 80-78.
Road to the final
- Mary Washington beat defending champion Trinity (Conn.) 64-61 in the semifinals.
- Emory advanced with a 72-58 win over Christopher Newport.
The victory crowns Mary Washington with a Division III title celebration after a tense finish.
Reported for Filmogaz.com.
