ORLANDO, Fla. — Welcome back, March Madness!
JP Pegues hit the go-ahead 3-pointer with 2.2 seconds left to propel No. 13-seed Furman past No. 4 Virginia, 68-67, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Orlando. Pegues’ shot came about after Garrett Hein stole a halfcourt pass and found Pegues in the right corner for the win.
It was the second straight time that UVA lost as a fourth-seed with the Cavaliers previously losing in the first round to Ohio in 2020-21.
Pegues finished with 11 points but it was the final three points that most people will remember.
Virginia (25-8) jumped out to an 8-0 advantage before Garrett Hien’s 3-pointer put Furman (28-7) on the scoreboard. The Cavaliers continued to work with tempo pushing their lead to 12-5 but Jalen Slawson’s emphatic dunk coupled with a foul on Armaan Franklin, helped the Paladins slice the lead to 12-7.
Furman made a late charge in the first half buoyed by back-to-back 3-pointers by Marcus Foster and Alex Williams that cut UVA’s lead to 21-17 with 6:35 left before the half. Twice the Paladins pulled within a point but consecutive buckets by Jayden Gardner and Reece Beekman pushed the Cavaliers’ lead to 32-27 at the half.
The Cavaliers opened up the second half much as it start the game with a 10-3 run to push their lead to its largest of the game at 42-30. But Furman made a 5-0 run after a TV timeout with Foster hitting another shot from beyond the arc and Williams providing a quick layup.
Isaac McKneely hit back-to-back 3-pointers — the first of the game for Virginia — pushing the lead back to 12 at 50-38 with 10:54 left.
But Furman wouldn’t go quietly, putting together a 17-4 run, this one aided by switching to a 1-2-2 zone defense that seemed to confuse the Cavaliers, who began settling for outside shots rather than driving to the basket. The Paladins tied the game at 54 with 5:21 left and took the lead on the next possession thanks to a Slawson basket and foul shot.
