Updated March Madness bracket after Furman upsets Virginia
Furman shocked the world with an upset over 4-seed Virginia early in the 2023 NCAA Tournament so we have to update the March Madness bracket.
The Furman Paladins were a popular upset pick in the First Round of the 2023 NCAA Tournament and a team with the potential to bust the March Madness bracket of any person who had the 4-seeded Virginia Cavaliers going far.
Midway through the second half, though, it looked like the upset was dead. Virginia pulled ahead to a 50-38 lead and were controlling the pace wholly. But the Paladins, a team that averaged more than 80 points per game this season, came to life. They chipped away at the lead with a big 10-2 run and then kept hanging close.
That’s when the Cavaliers had a 67-65 lead in the final seconds with the ball. Facing Furman’s full-court press, all they had to do was get the ball up the floor, take a foul, and make the free throws. Instead, Kihei Clark got trapped in the corner and then threw an ill-advised pass that was stolen by Furman’s Garrett Hien.
Hien then found star guard JP Pegues who put up a 3-pointer that was silky as it fell through the net. Virginia had 2.2 seconds to try and retake the win, but were unsuccessful, giving March its first true taste of madness.
Updated March Madness bracket after Furman upsets Virginia
After a big 13-over-4 upset, let’s take a look at the updated March Madness bracket.
Furman now advances along with Maryland, who beat West Virginia in another close game just minutes before the big upset.
The Paladins will await the winner of San Diego State vs. Charleston, another First Round game where an upset is definitely in play. Furman has definitely set the tone for the NCAA Tournament early, though, and let’s hope other teams have more to come as well.
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