Emory Loses D3 Men's Basketball Title Game on Heartbreaking Buzzer Beater

Mary Washington University edges Emory 75-73 in nail-biter championship game

Apr. 5, 2026 at 10:52pm

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Emory University's men's basketball team fell just short of their first national title, losing to Mary Washington University 75-73 on a heartbreaking buzzer-beater in the Division III championship game. The game came down to the wire, with Emory rallying late to tie it before Mary Washington's Colin Mitchell hit the game-winning jumper as time expired.

Why it matters

Emory's tournament run to the title game was defined by close, dramatic games, and the championship matchup was no different. The loss is a tough end to an otherwise successful season for the Eagles, who were the No. 2 ranked team in the country coming into the tournament.

The details

Emory faced an uncertain road to the championship game, needing late comebacks to advance past Roanoke and Illinois Wesleyan in earlier rounds. In the title game, neither team led by double digits until the final minutes, when Mary Washington pulled ahead 65-50 with 4:40 left. But Emory's Ethan Fauss led a late charge, scoring 10 of the Eagles' final 23 points to tie it at 73-73 with 12 seconds left. However, Mary Washington's Colin Mitchell hit the game-winning jumper as time expired to give the Eagles their first national championship.

  • Emory faced Roanoke in the second round and Illinois Wesleyan in the Elite Eight, needing late comebacks to advance.
  • Emory cruised past Christopher Newport University 72-58 in the Final Four to reach the championship game.
  • The title game was played on Sunday, April 6, 2026.

The players

Ethan Fauss

An Emory player who scored 10 of the Eagles' final 23 points, including the game-tying shot with 12 seconds left.

Jair Knight

An Emory senior guard who tied Fauss for the team lead with 24 points in the championship game.

Ben Pearce

Emory's D3hoops.com National Player of the Year, who struggled in the title game, going 2-for-13 from the field.

Colin Mitchell

The Mary Washington forward who hit the game-winning buzzer-beater to give his team the national championship.

Mary Washington University

The Division III men's basketball program that won its first national title, defeating Emory in the championship game.

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What they’re saying

“We had a great tournament run, but it's tough to come up short like that in the end. Credit to Mary Washington, they made the play when it counted.”

— Ethan Fauss, Emory Player

What’s next

Emory will look to build on this season's success and make another deep tournament run next year, while Mary Washington will celebrate the program's first national championship.

The takeaway

Emory's heartbreaking loss in the Division III men's basketball title game capped an otherwise impressive tournament run for the Eagles, who fell just short of their first national championship despite a valiant late comeback effort.