It wouldn’t be March Madness without upsets. And it wouldn’t be the opening day of the tournament without one of college basketball’s top-ranked teams losing in crushing fashion.
That happened in the second game of the tournament on Thursday, as the South Region saw No. 4 seed Virginia lose 68-67 to 13th-ranked Furman. Thursday’s upset was 43 years in the making as Furman hadn’t made an NCAA Tournament appearance since the Ronald Reagan administration.
Virginia fought out an 18-4 second-half Furman run to take a two-point lead (67-65) with just under 10 seconds remaining.
That’s when disaster struck.
The Paladins double-teamed Virginia guard Kihei Clark on the baseline before the graduate student threw away an errant pass, which was intercepted by Furman’s Garrett Hien. The junior forward found J.P. Pegues beyond the arc, as the sophomore guard drilled a 3-pointer with 2.4 seconds left to give Furman a one-point lead.
FURMAN GO-AHEAD 3 WITH KEVIN HARLAN ON THE CALL! #MarchMadness 🏀🧅 pic.twitter.com/z3BQfG1MBY
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) March 16, 2023
Virginia missed a game-winning 3-point attempt as time expired.
The college basketball world immediately reminded Virginia that it lost in the first round to a then-16 seed UMBC on the same date — March 16 — five years to the day. Needless to say, the Cavaliers may petition the NCAA to play on a different date if they make the tournament in 2024.
VIRGINIA GOES DOWN IN THE FIRST ROUND EXACTLY FIVE YEARS APART 😱 pic.twitter.com/FLodXxpTUH
— ESPN (@espn) March 16, 2023
The college basketball world reacted as Virginia was upset in the first round yet again.
THE FIRST UPSET OF THE MEN'S TOURNEY ‼️
Furman wins it in the final seconds for its first tourney victory since 1974! 😱 pic.twitter.com/2D1DWsmNZa
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) March 16, 2023
After Furman's stunning upset over Virginia, just 10.67% of brackets are still perfect 😳 #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/BfxyfBSUfF
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 16, 2023
Jalen Slawson: “He just freaking threw it!” pic.twitter.com/xMLCWtPMjD
— Brendan Marks (@BrendanRMarks) March 16, 2023
Kihei Clark being responsible for one of the smartest passes in NCAA tourney history en route to a national title but also now one of the dumbest passes in NCAA tourney history to choke away a first round game and end his career is the Virginia basketball experience in a nutshell
— Mark Titus (@clubtrillion) March 16, 2023
Simply unreal.
Kihei Clark had one of the headiest plays in 2019 to help SAVE VIRGINIA vs. Purdue on its way to the NCAA Tournament title.
In 2023, he makes a prayer of a pass that lands in the hands of FURMAN AND THE PALADINS PULL OFF AN INSTANT MARCH MADNESS CLASSIC UPSET.
— Matt Norlander (@MattNorlander) March 16, 2023
I feel awful for this kid, that’s going to stick with him for a while. Really inexplicable turnover off a great full court press from Furman pic.twitter.com/d7Mvtmx4Ks
— Marcel Louis-Jacques (@Marcel_LJ) March 16, 2023
Virginia's last four NCAA tournaments:
Lost in round of 64
National title
Lost in round of 64
Lost in round of 64— John Gasaway (@JohnGasaway) March 16, 2023
[Awful Announcing on Twitter, ESPN on Twitter]
