The University of Mary Washington Eagles are the 2026 NCAA Division III National Champions.
The University of Mary Washington men’s basketball team has claimed victory with its first national championship win. The UMW Eagles defeated Emory University 75–73 on Sunday to claim the NCAA Division III title.
And they did it with a dramatic buzzer beater.
UMW was up late in the game, but, with 47 seconds left, Emory went on a 9–1 run that pulled them within two points. Colin Mitchell then hit a free throw to put UMW up 73–70 with 18 seconds left. But Emory hit a three-pointer to tie the game with 10 seconds left.
Then, UMW’s Kye Robinson quickly moved the ball to end of the court and took a shot with two seconds left. The ball missed the hoop, but Mitchell scored the rebound as the final horn sounded.
This is the team’s first national championship and the fourth for all UMW sports.
Last week, team head coach Marcus Kahn was also named the 2026 Glenn Robinson National Coach of the Year. The annual award recognizes the top head coach in Division III college basketball.
Feature photo by Tom Rothenberg