Emory University's best basketball season in program history ended in the cruelest possible way Sunday in Indianapolis. A buzzer-beating putback by University of Mary Washington sophomore Colin Mitchell gave UMW a 75-73 victory in the Division III national championship game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Mitchell, a forward who had not started a single game all year, grabbed an offensive rebound and scored as time expired to give Mary Washington its first national title.
Emory led 30-28 at halftime in a grinding first half where both teams shot just 29%. The Eagles got a scare when national player of the year Ben Pearce left the game with an injury early in the second half. He returned but didn't hit his first field goal until late, finishing with 10 points, five rebounds, and seven assists.
Mary Washington steadily pulled ahead in the second half, building a 63-50 lead with under five minutes remaining. But Emory had one more run. The Eagles went on a 23-12 tear, with Ethan Faust (24 points, six rebounds) hitting a three-pointer to tie the game at 73 with seconds left after a UMW turnover.
Then came the gut punch. A missed shot, a scramble for the rebound, and Mitchell put it back at the buzzer.
The Eagles won 27 games this season under head coach Jason Zimmerman, who has been with the program for 19 years. It was their first national championship game appearance. Zimmerman told reporters he doesn't know what the future holds but called the season "something special."
