By David Jones for Urban Media Today
Atlanta, GA. — Emory needed overtime to get it done, but the Eagles are headed back to the Sweet 16. Junior Ethan Fauss hit the go-ahead three-pointer with 9.6 seconds left in overtime and then sealed the win with a block on Atlanta native Jackson Bell’s last-ditch attempt as time expired, lifting the Eagles past Roanoke College 83-81 in the second round of the NCAA Division III Tournament Saturday night in Atlanta.
Emory trailed at halftime and watched a late lead nearly slip away in regulation before Fauss delivered twice when it mattered most, finishing with 15 points, 15 rebounds, three steals, and two blocks in 41 minutes of work.
Senior Ben Pearce was the engine all night. He led all scorers with 29 points on 8-of-19 shooting, going 12-of-15 from the free throw line, and added eight assists and seven rebounds. The performance carried historic weight — Pearce became the first player in Emory history to reach 2,000 career points, and his 629th point of the season broke Matthew Schner’s single-season program record of 611 set in 2021-22.
Fellow senior Jair Knight contributed 24 points and nine rebounds, hitting three of six from three. Sophomore Mario Awasum added 10 points and five boards despite foul trouble that limited him to just 21 minutes.
Roanoke came in looking to continue their late season momentum after upsetting No. 1 Randolph-Macon in the ODAC title game and rallying past Rhodes a night earlier. The Maroons looked the part early, jumping ahead 6-0 and building a lead as large as seven. They closed the first half on an 8-0 run to lead 55-48 at the break.
Emory flipped the script in the second half. Back-to-back triples from Knight pushed the Eagles ahead 63-62, and the teams traded punches the rest of regulation. With one second left and Roanoke up one, Ryan Truitt stepped to the line and converted the first free throw — but missed the second, sending the game to overtime tied at 75.
The extra period stayed tight until Bell, who finished with a team-high 20 points, gave Roanoke an 81-80 lead with 27 seconds remaining. That’s when Pearce drove baseline to collapse the defense and found Fauss alone at the top of the arc. Fauss didn’t hesitate. The three dropped, and when Bell got off one final look, Fauss was there again — swatting it away to send the fans into bedlam.
Emory shot 40.3 percent from the field to Roanoke’s 33.3, forced 11 turnovers, and won the steal battle 9-4. The Eagles improved to 24-3 on the season and will host Yeshiva University in the Sweet 16 on Friday, March 13, at 1:00 p.m. — their sixth Sweet 16 appearance in the Jason Zimmerman era and seventh in program history.
