ORLANDO, Fla. — Kihei Clark sat in the locker room watching video on his phone Thursday afternoon, trying to figure out how Virginia could have avoided another early exit from the NCAA tournament.
Five years to the day after losing to the University of Maryland, Baltimore County — the first time a No. 1 seed was taken down by a No. 16 — the Cavaliers were eliminated in the first round as the higher-seeded team for the third time in their past four NCAA trips, this time as 13th-seeded Furman won 68-67.
Virginia hasn't won an NCAA tourney game since its 2019 title triumph over Texas Tech.
Clark's bad pass was intercepted by the Paladins' Garrett Hien in the closing seconds, leading to a wide-open 3-pointer that JP Pegues sank without hesitation. Reece Beekman's deep shot for 3 at the buzzer then bounced off the rim, and that was it for the Cavaliers.
Four years ago, Clark was a freshman star who helped Virginia to the program's lone NCAA championship. His long career with the Cavaliers had a much more unsatisfying conclusion.
What would he have done differently?
"Call time out, maybe could have threw it to Armaan (Franklin) on the right wing, maybe," Clark said. "He was open. Couldn't see. It was a good trap."
Tony Bennett, his 14th season and ninth NCAA tourney appearance as Virginia's coach complete, wasn't surprised Clark patiently answered questions from reporters.
"This is part of the game," Bennett said. "I've used this line before, but when you step between the lines, you take the good and you take the hard with it. You try to handle them both with dignity and respect.
"I've loved coaching him in his career. He had the most amazing assist to get us to a Final Four. We would not be in this spot without him, all the success. He's had an unbelievable career. You always look to that last moment, and there's so many what-ifs and who-knows."
Southern Conference champion Furman (28-7), making its first NCAA tourney trip in 43 years and just the sixth in program history, is moving on to the second round in the South Region. On Saturday, the Paladins will face fifth-seeded San Diego State (28-6), which held off No. 12 seed Charleston 63-57 later Thursday.
"All year we've been saying that this team just knows how to win," Furman coach Bob Richey said. "... It's an unbelievable moment."
Said Bennett: "This game is — interesting might be the word I'd use. You feel like we've got it, we've got it, and then all of a sudden in a moment's notice, it changes at the end. That's tough."
The Paladins made it to March Madness for the first time since 1980 by beating the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in the SoCon tourney final two weeks ago, capping a season-long quest to redeem themselves after losing the league's title game — and automatic NCAA bid — to the Mocs in overtime on David Jean-Baptiste's 35-foot buzzer-beater last year.
"I couldn't help but go back when I saw the shot in the air to a year ago. It's just a reminder, like we said it all year, count on joy, and you don't know timing of things. ... This team has persevered, and they did it today," said Richey, who's in his seventh season leading the Paladins. "It's a microcosm of what they learned, and they just keep reliving the lesson and keep finding ways."
In the aftermath of last year's disappointment, Jalen Slawson and his best friend, Mike Bothwell, both decided to return for their fifth seasons with the Paladins. Slawson took over Thursday's game when Bothwell fouled out with just more than six minutes remaining, scoring nine consecutive points to turn a 54-48 deficit into Furman's first lead, 57-54, with 5:02 to go.
Slawson, the SoCon player of the year, finished with 19 points, 10 rebounds and four assists.
"I told Mike that we weren't going to let today be his last time putting a jersey on, and I know if roles were reversed, the same thing would have happened," Slawson said. "It didn't have to just be me. But the game was up there for the taking, and these guys told me they believed in me and told me I was being a little bit passive, told me to be a little bit more aggressive."
The winning shot was Pegues' only 3 of the game.
"As soon as I saw it go into Garrett Hien's hands, I was like, I want the ball. I feel like those are moments I've created my whole life, and I feel like I'm built for," Pegues said. "I had full belief that it was going in, and it did."
Kadin Shedrick led the Cavaliers with 15 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks, Beekman scored 14 points and Isaac McKneely added 12.
Marcus Foster scored 14 points and Bothwell and Pegues had 11 appiece for Furman.
"This team has done a great job making history all year," Slawson said, "so you know, Saturday is going to be another chance to make history."