No. 13 Furman delivered the first major upset of the 2023 men’s NCAA tournament in spectacular fashion, knocking off No. 4 Virginia after a chaotic final sequence.
With the Cavaliers leading 67–65 and time winding down, UVA point guard Kihei Clark turned the ball over with a wild pass, allowing Furman guard JP Pegues to drain a three-pointer to take a 68–67 lead with 2.4 seconds remaining.
Reece Beekman got a shot off on the ensuing Virginia possession, but it rimmed out, sealing the win for Furman and delivering the first memorable March Madness moment of the year.
The Paladins hung around with the Cavaliers throughout Thursday’s contest, despite falling behind by as many as 12 points early on in the second half. The difference proved to be the three-ball as Furman ended the afternoon 10-for-28 (35.7%) from beyond the arc, a far better mark than UVA’s 2-for-12 (16.7%) outing from deep.
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Pegues ended the game with 11 points as one of four Paladins players in double figures. Senior forward Jalen Slawson led the way with 19 points and 10 rebounds, while Marcus Foster and Mike Bothwell added 14 points and 11 points, respectively.
Kadin Shedrick led the way for Virginia, racking up 15 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks. Beekman added 14 points and freshman Isaac McKneely scored 12 points off the bench.
Furman will now advance and take on the winner of No. 5 San Diego State and No. 12 Charleston in the second round on Saturday.
