Furman Tops Virginia in First Upset of 2023 March Madness

The Madness has arrived. Hello Furman, farewell Virginia.

Less than three hours into the 2023 men’s NCAA basketball tournament, the first major upset — and almost buzzer-beater — of March Madness has happened.

The No. 13-seeded Furman Paladins (28-7) are into the second round of the tournament in the South Region, while the No. 4-seed Virginia Cavaliers (25-8) are headed home much earlier than expected. And the result came in dramatic fashion with a game-winning, 3-point shot from Furman’s JP Pegues with 2.2 seconds left.

Furman held on to a 68-67 win over Virginia in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday, coming from behind to erase a five-point halftime deficit.

Senior forward Jalen Slawson propelled the Paladins with 19 points, 10 rebounds and four assists, turning in the first noteworthy individual performance of this year’s March Madness.

Kadin Shedrick led UVA with 15 points and 13 rebounds in a losing effort.

While the college basketball world continues watching the Big Dance unfold, let’s dive in deeper to find out more about the first Cinderella of the 2023 NCAA Tournament