Furman Paladins guard Marcus Foster (5) celebrates after defeating the Virginia Cavaliers at Amway Center. Russell Lansford-USA TODAY Sports

No. 13 Furman the first bracket buster of the 2023 NCAA Tournament with wild win over Virginia

We got our first dash of madness this March when No. 13 Furman pulled off a 68-67 upset over No. 4 Virginia in the South Region. 

Furman's JP Pegues hit a three-pointer — his one three made in the game — with 2.2 seconds remaining, and Virginia's last-ditch attempt to avoid the upset was off-target.

The winning shot was only possible after Virginia senior guard Kihei Clark took a page out of the Jakobi Meyers' playbook by attempting an ill-advised half-court heave that resulted in a turnover at midcourt. Furman intercepted the pass, which led to the go-ahead bucket.

People were rightfully shocked by the wild ending that delivered the first upset of the tournament.

On the other side, Virginia's loss adds to a list of recent tournament failings, including a historic loss as the No. 1 overall seed to No. 16 seed UMBC in 2016. The Cavaliers did win the 2019 tournament, so don't feel too bad for them.

There will be more upsets to come later today and on Friday, but Furman set a high standard for others to match with its improbable comeback victory.

The No. 13 Paladins will try to keep their run going in the round of 32 against the winner of No. 5 San Diego State and No. 12 College of Charleston on Saturday.

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