NCAA Division III school wins national championship on wild hitter

the March mad It’s not exclusive to just Division I men’s basketball as two Division III schools have seen how wild the end of the year can get.

Christopher Newport University (CNU) and Mount Union claimed the national title Saturday night finishing between two of the best schools in the game.

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Mount Union’s Christian Parker scored a game-tying layup with 4.3 seconds to play. CNU’s Trey Barber grabbed the inside pass near half court and drove straight into the hoop, where he aimed his shot off the glass and through the hoop for the game-winner as time expired.

Barber finished with 25 points and 10 rebounds as CNU won the game 74-72, claiming its first NCAA Division III championship in program history. Barber was shooting 10 of 25 and had his eighth double-double of the season.

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Christopher Newport Captains players cheer during the Division III men’s basketball tournament at Allen County War Memorial Coliseum on March 18, 2023, in Fort Wayne, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/NCAA via Getty Images)

Jan Heinz added 18 points for the captain, while Caleb Foure had four three-pointers and finished with 12 points.

Parker scored 10 of his career-high 31 points as part of a 12-4 win over Mount Union. He also scored with 17 seconds left to give the Purple Raiders a one-point lead. However, CNU would convert a three-point play before Parker tied the game again.

He added four rebounds and two steals for his total.

Trey Barber of Captains and Collen Gurley of the Purple Raiders catch a loose ball during the Division III Championship on March 18, 2023, in Fort Wayne, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/NCAA via Getty Images)

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CNU and Union Mountain They each finished the season 30-3.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.