We Are D3, a team composed entirely of Division III alumni and given only a No. 4 seed in the Syracuse Regional, was largely underestimated before The Basketball Tournament. However, after beating Layne’s Hope and unexpectedly defeating top-seed Boeheim’s Army in the second round, the team confirmed it was no fluke.
In the regional final, D3 did it again, stunning No. 2 seed Stars of Storrs, earning their spot in the quarterfinals. With a 76-68 victory over the top-seeded Stars of Storrs, We Are D3 reached the Round of 16 in The Basketball Tournament for the first time in team history. Led by David Murray’s impactful 14 points coming off the bench, along with the combined 40 points from Ty Nichols and Marcus Azor, this underdog team moved to the national stage.
“We used to being underdogs,” D3’s head coach Mike Rejniak said. “ It doesn’t matter who we play. I think we play fail harder. But we’re going to enjoy this tonight..unreal, unreal.”
Both struggled to find the net until Storrs’ DeAndre Daniels made the first shot. Storrs then quickly established a 9-2 lead behind Isaiah Whitehead’s three and Kassim Nicholson’s finish under the rim. Elijah Thomas asserted himself in the paint with a remarkable presence on the floor, scoring four straight with a powerful drive and an alley-oop dunk, while Storrs’ defense contained D3’s early attempts to attack the basket.
Despite struggling initially, D3 responded with Azor’s coast-to-coast layup and Thomas Quarry’s cleanup around the rim. A pick-and-pop jumper from Nichols helped D3 trim the deficit to three, ending the first quarter down just 19-16.
In the second, Thomas remained a force inside, adding four quick points, including a surprising long two. Nicholson threw down a contested dunk, and Whitehead buried a three to give Storrs its first double-digit cushion. RJ Cole added to the burst with a triple off the bench, capping an 8-0 for Storrs and forced D3 into a timeout.
“I felt we played too passively,” Rejniak said. “We started walking the ball up, and we got established in the post, and we just weren’t playing ourselves.”
Being the D3’s scoring leader in previous rounds, Nichols couldn’t find his rhythm, missing both perimeter shots and layups under pressure. Still, D3 clawed back again—Azor and Quarry chipped in with second-chance points, and Hank Morgan nailed a contested three to shift momentum. Nichols then found Christian Parker for an easy bucket downfield and finished a drive himself to cut it to four. Murray’s late cut made it a one-possession game. Terry Larrier’s buzzer-beater jumper kept Storrs up in four before going into the second half.
In a thrilling second-half surge, D3 emerged behind a standout performance from Murray, whose energy off the bench proved pivotal.
After trailing early, D3 found life in the third quarter. Nichols and Murray teamed up to spark a momentum shift. Nichols tied the game with a strong drive before Murray’s relentless defensive pressure forced a turnover, leading to Azor’s coast-to-coast dunk and D3’s first lead. The team then rode a 10-0 run, fueled by Nichols’ deep three, Peek’s corner triple, and a transition finish that forced a Storrs timeout.
Murray re-entered to dominate. He cut through the lane for back-to-back buckets, courtesy of Azor and Nichols’ vision. His cuts and finishing instincts consistently punished the Storrs defense, helping D3 sustain its lead.
“Murray came into the game and gave us unbelievable minutes. Unbelievable minutes for him.” Rejniak said.
In the fourth, as both teams traded baskets, Whitehead briefly brought Storrs within striking distance. But Murray kept D3 composed, scoring again off a Peek feed and later grabbing a key steal to ignite transition. As the game entered Elam Ending territory with D3 ahead 68-66, Azor and Nichols came through, while Peek remained aggressive, drawing key fouls.
With Storrs trying to claw back, D3 sealed the win with tough defense, efficient free-throw shooting, and execution. Murray capped his impact with the final blow, a layup after forcing a turnover, to secure the 75-68 win.
“I’ve never been so much excited to go to Wichita (Regional Quarterfinals),” Rejniak said. “We don’t quit. (I’m) super proud of how we kept our composure.”
Kevin Lu is a contributor for Fingerlakes1.com. He freelanced for the site during The Basketball Tournament (TBT) in 2025.