ATLANTA, Ga. -  The W men's basketball saw its memorable 2025-26 season come to a close in the first round of the NCAA Division III national championship tournament, falling to No. 2-seed Emory University, 87-73. The Owls finish the campaign at 17-11, while the Eagles (23-3) advance to Saturday's second-round game on their home floor.
 
"We went toe-to-toe with a team that is a top-seeded seed in this tournament, and has been ranked #1 nationally at times this season," MUW Head Coach Dean Burrows said. "We settled in somewhat faster than expected, but self-inflicted mistakes, as they did during the (regular) season, came back to bite us. We knew transition defense and keeping them off the offensive glass

were going to be a challenge, and they were. We didn't shoot the ball well from the charity stripe like we've done all season long, and that didn't help things.
 
 
The W – playing in its first-ever NCAA III post-season game - never led. But the resilient Owls hung close to the highly-experienced Emory program (with the Eagles playing in 13 of the last 14 NCAA tourneys). MUW trailed by just single digits much of the opening half, before finding itself down at the half, 50-37. EU managed to keep MUW at an arms-length in the second half.
 
The W's sophomore tandem of Joe Haze Austin and Tray Huguley both had big efforts in the finale. Austin truly saved his best for last with a season-high, and game leading, total of 32 points. Austin hit 14-of-27 shots from the floor, including four made from beyond the arc. The SLIAC's Defensive Player of the Year also showed is wares on the national scene, with a game-best six steals, while also grabbing eight rebounds and making one block.
 
Huguley, was "held" to 15 points (averaging 23.0 coming in). The workhorse Huguley pulled down a team-leading 12 rebounds, giving him his school-record 18th double-double game of the season. He also dished out a team-best four assists and three blocked shots, as well.
 
Trent Walker was MUW's only other player to reach double figures in points, with 10. Walker also hauled in eight rebounds.
 
Devin McCaine added eight points, Tyler Shephard six, and Jackson Reid two, in rounding out MUW's scoring totals.
 
And while any loss is a bitter pill to swallow, Burrows knows that the body of work authored by his Owls in 2025-26, especially its SLIAC championship and NCAA bid, have long-term positive ramifications.
 
"At the end of the day, our guys had 'impact' all season long," Burrows explained. "And it's what I pray for daily, twice at that, for them to be the example the world needs and to live a life of impact. Our program being able to feel and experience (the NCAA tournament) tonight, and a team such as Emory, is going to help as we work to continue to move this forward."