In a surprising upset, the No. 13 seed Furman defeated the No. 4 seed Virginia in the early rounds of the NCAA tournament, sending Virginia home early once again. This is a significant upset as Virginia was a top seed and considered a favorite to advance further in the tournament. Furman's victory is sure to be celebrated by their fans and will likely go down as one of the biggest upsets of the tournament.
After almost half a century, Furman has achieved another victory in the NCAA tournament. This accomplishment is a significant milestone for the team, and it marks their first tournament win in nearly 50 years. The team and their fans are sure to be overjoyed by this long-awaited success.
Furman's victory in the NCAA tournament was not just a win, but it was achieved in a very dramatic fashion. The Paladins put on a stunning performance that is sure to be remembered by fans for a long time. The excitement and intensity of the game added to the drama, and it's clear that Furman fought hard to secure their well-deserved victory.
In a thrilling game at the Amway Center on Thursday, Garrett Hien of Furman intercepted a stray pass and passed the ball to JP Pegues. Pegues then hit a long 3-pointer with only 2.2 seconds left in the game, securing a 68-67 victory for the 13th-seeded Paladins over the 4th-seeded Virginia. This was a historic win for Furman, as it marked their first NCAA tournament victory since 1974. The players and fans alike are sure to be thrilled with this dramatic and exciting win.
Furman's head coach, Bob Richey, described the team's victory as an unbelievable moment. Richey was born three years after Furman's last NCAA tournament appearance in 1980, making this victory all the more special for him and the team. He went on to say that it was a great day to be a Paladin, and the entire team and their fans are sure to share his sentiment. This victory is a
momentous achievement for the program and will be remembered for years to come.
The game-winning shot from JP Pegues in the NCAA tournament was a significant moment not only for the team but also for the sophomore guard himself. Despite missing his previous three 3-point attempts, Pegues came through in the clutch and buried a long 3-pointer from several feet behind the line. This shot is sure to be remembered as one of the biggest moments in program history since Furman has only had one other NCAA tournament win. Pegues, who is the team's leader in 3-point field goals this season, showed tremendous composure and skill in hitting this shot, and it's clear that his teammates and fans will be celebrating this moment for a long time.
JP Pegues, the sophomore guard for Furman, spoke about the game-winning shot in the NCAA tournament and how he felt in the moment. Pegues said that as soon as he saw the ball go into Garrett Hien's hands, he wanted it for himself. He also added that he felt like he was built for these types of moments and that he has been creating them his whole life. When he got the ball, he knew that he had a shot attempt, and he had full belief that it was going to go in, which it did. Pegues showed tremendous confidence and composure in that moment, and his belief in himself and his abilities paid off with the game-winning shot.
Furman's victory over Virginia was the first upset of the tournament, and many fans and experts had predicted that the Paladins would come out on top. This was reflected in the betting odds as well, with the majority of the betting being on the Furman side. According to Caesars Sportsbook, 61.6% of the tickets and 55.6% of the money were on the Paladins to win. This indicates that many people had confidence in Furman's ability to pull off the upset, and they were proven right in the end. The Paladins showed that they were a force to be reckoned with and will be looking to continue their impressive run in the tournament.
According to BetMGM books, Furman was the most popular betting choice for Thursday's games by tipoff. More bets were placed and more money was wagered on Furman plus the points (5.5) than on any other team. This shows that many fans and bettors had faith in Furman to at least cover the spread, if not pull off the outright upset. In the end, the Paladins not only covered the spread but also won the game outright, giving those who bet on them even more reason to celebrate. Furman's impressive performance and popularity among bettors make them a team to watch in the rest of the tournament.
The Furman Paladins, who have been on a roll with 15 wins in their last 16 games, will face off against San Diego State in the second round of the NCAA tournament on Saturday. The Paladins will be looking to build on their impressive upset victory over Virginia in the first round and continue their strong run in the tournament. San Diego State will be a tough opponent, but Furman has shown that they are a team to be taken seriously and will be looking to keep their momentum going. The game promises to be an exciting matchup between two talented teams, and fans will be eagerly anticipating the outcome.
Furman forward Jalen Slawson is confident that his team will continue to make history in the NCAA tournament. The Paladins have been on a roll this season, winning 28 games and pulling off a major upset against Virginia in the first round. Slawson believes that Saturday's game against San Diego State will be another opportunity for the team to make history.
"This team has done a great job making history all year," Slawson said. "Saturday's going to be another chance to make history, and this team has performed the best under the brightest lights all year."
Slawson also pointed out that the team played even better in the first round than they did in the Southern Conference championship. He believes that if the team continues to play at their best, they have a real chance of advancing further in the tournament.
"Imagine if we go play better Saturday," Slawson said. "I think we can do something special."
Furman forward Jalen Slawson is confident that his team will continue to make history in the NCAA tournament. The Paladins have been on a roll this season, winning 28 games and pulling off a major upset against Virginia in the first round. Slawson believes that Saturday's game against San Diego State will be another opportunity for the team to make history.
"This team has done a great job making history all year," Slawson said. "Saturday's going to be another chance to make history, and this team has performed the best under the brightest lights all year."
Slawson also pointed out that the team played even better in the first round than they did in the Southern Conference championship. He believes that if the team continues to play at their best, they have a real chance of advancing further in the tournament.
"Imagine if we go play better Saturday," Slawson said. "I think we can do something special."
For the Virginia Cavaliers, the loss to Furman in the first round of the NCAA tournament was a bitter reminder of their past failures. The game was played on the same day as the five-year anniversary of their historic loss to UMBC, when a 16 seed upset a 1 seed for the first time in tournament history. Despite rebounding to win the national championship in 2019, the Cavaliers have now suffered two consecutive first-round exits.
Thursday's loss to Furman was particularly disappointing for the Cavaliers, who were seeded fourth and considered one of the top teams in the tournament. The defeat serves as a reminder of the unpredictability of March Madness and the potential for upsets at any time.
Despite the setback, Virginia head coach Tony Bennett expressed pride in his team's efforts this season and their ability to overcome adversity.
"It was a great year," Bennett said. "We won the ACC regular season, we won the ACC tournament, and these guys battled. That's life. You get some good stuff and some hard stuff. We'll use it to be better."
Virginia guard Kihei Clark had a heartbreaking moment in the game, where he got caught in a trap on the baseline and threw a wayward downcourt pass that was intercepted by Hien. Although Virginia still had a timeout remaining, neither Clark nor coach Tony Bennett called one.
Clark explained that he couldn't see properly and only saw Reece Beekman moving backwards and Jayden Gardner down the court, so he attempted to throw the pass. He also mentioned that he could have thrown the ball to Isaac McKneely on the right wing but couldn't see properly due to the trap.
Despite having a 12-point lead with 15:11 left to play, Virginia couldn't hold on to it as Furman switched to a zone defense. The Paladins gradually reduced the lead and finally took the lead with 5:02 remaining on a layup by Jalen Slawson. Kihei Clark managed to put Virginia ahead by four with only 19 seconds left on the clock after making a free throw, but two free throws by Garrett Hien with 12 seconds to go brought Furman within two. Finally, Clark's turnover sealed the win for Furman.
Virginia coach Tony Bennett said, "I thought we battled to get that lead back. That's where I thought, 'Okay, we got it back.' Good, tough play and thought we were going to be playing on Saturday. But we're not."
The Furman team is currently enjoying their victory and taking it all in, as Pegues stated
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