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Coincidences make D-III buzzer beater even more unbelievable

If the coaches at the University of Mary Washington agree to play Hampden-Sydney College again next season, you can bet they won't schedule the game on Nov. 22 for a third year in a row.

The last two meetings between the two Virginia-based Division III schools have both taken place on that day and have both ended in Hampden-Sydney burying game-winning shots at the buzzer at Mary Washington's expense.

Mary Washington appeared to be in position to win Saturday night with possession of the ball, a two-point lead and only 3.3 seconds remaining, but Hampden-Sydney's Leon Hargrove stole an inbound pass in the frontcourt. He passed up court to guard Mike Murray, who took one dribble and floated a one-handed 25-foot runner that bounced high off the rim and somehow fell through to give Hampden-Sydney a stunning 58-57 victory.

The jubilation on the Hampden-Sydney bench was even greater than Nov. 22, 2013 when the team scripted an ending even more improbable. Greg Lewis sank a 3-pointer with five seconds remaining to cut Mary Washington's lead to two, Hampden-Sydney forced a turnover on the ensuing inbound pass and Lewis struck again, burying a catch-and-shoot game-winning 3-pointer from well behind the top of the key to give his team a one-point win.

Both Lewis and Murray earned spots on SportsCenter's Top 10 for their heroics, Lewis at No. 2 and Murray at No. 7.

That's great national publicity for a lower-division program like Hampden-Sydney, but don't expect there to be a third straight Nov. 22 buzzer beater next season. Mary Washington probably will be smart enough not to tempt fate once more.

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Jeff Eisenberg is the editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at daggerblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!

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