No. 15 seed Furman looking for some more March magic as it challenges UConn men in NCAA Tournament
PHILADELPHIA – There were five seconds left in Orlando, Fla. , during the 2023 NCAA Tournament when No. 13 seed Furman’s Garrett Hien intercepted a long inbound pass near the March Madness logo at center court and passed up to JP Pegues on the wing.
His NBA-range jump shot hit nothing but net to put the Paladins ahead of No. 4 seed Virginia, 68-67. And 2.
4 seconds later, after a desperation heave clanked off the backboard, coach Bob Richey watched his team experience the highest of highs in college basketball. “It was so unexpected that it was just such a lightning strike. To be a part of that, a moment that will be replayed in March Madness history for the rest of my life, was really special,” said senior Ben Vander Wal, the only player remaining from that Furman roster.
He played 12 minutes off the bench in that game and grabbed two rebounds. “We were there to win and we were gonna enjoy the week and we wanted to have a joy and excitement about being there, but we were also there with a sense of urgency that we were gonna come out and we wanted to play our best on the national stage when our best was required. ” Richey and Vander Wal hope to experience the magic of March a second time in four years.
“That was an unbelievable moment in Furman history, to win in Orlando three years ago, and the way we did it was not easy,” said Richey, 42, who has spent all nine of his years as a Division I head coach at Furman, and the previous seven as an assistant. “If you have a moment to be part of March Madness and to be able to experience beating a team like Virginia, you’re going to have to play really well. You’re also going to have to deal with a lot of different adversity, and you have to stay connected, and we definitely have drawn on some of those moments.
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