ORLANDO, Fla. — A 3-pointer from JP Pegues with 2.2 seconds in regulation gave the 13th-seeded Furman Paladins a thrilling 68-67 upset win over the 4th seed Virginia Cavaliers at the Amway Center on Thursday.
Not only was Furman's victory the first upset of the tournament, it was the Paladins first NCAA tournament win since 1974.
Pegues' shot was set up by Garrett Hien, who intercepted a wayward pass from Virginia guard Kihei Clark.
Clark got caught in a trap on the baseline and threw an errant downcourt pass that would be intercepted by Hien, who then fed the ball to his sophomore teammate.
It was also a heartbreaking moment for Virginia, as they still had a timeout remaining but neither Clark nor coach Tony Bennett were able to call one.
And to add more insult to injury for Virginia, the loss came on the five-year anniversary of their loss to UMBC, which was the first time a 16 seed had beaten a 1 seed.
As for Pegues, the shot will be one that Paladin fans will remember. The guard had missed his previous three attempts from behind the arc before that shot. But the teams' leader in 3-pointers didn't miss on his final shot, as he buried it from several feet from behind the line.
The Cavaliers (25-8) looked to be in control with a 12-point lead with 15:11 remaining in the game.
However, Furman made a defensive change, going to a zone defense and began chipping away at Virginia's lead. The Paladins would take the lead on a Slawson layup with 5:02 to play.
Clark would give Virginia a four-point lead with 19 seconds to play after a free throw, but two free throws from Hien with 12 seconds to play and then his ensuing defensive play would set the stage for Pegues big shot.
The Paladins (28-7), who have now won 15 of their last 16 games, will face San Diego State on Saturday in the second-round.
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