Tarris Reed Jr. delivered a historic NCAA tournament performance, scoring 31 points and grabbing 27 rebounds on 12-of-15 shooting to lead UConn to an 82-71 upset over Furman. The second-seeded Huskies narrowly avoided elimination, with Reed joining Bill Walton as the only players in 60 years to achieve 30+ points, 20+ rebounds, and 80% shooting in tournament history.

Furman, a 15-seed, kept the game competitive with six first-half 3-pointers, including a buzzer-beater by Charles Johnston that trimmed UConn’s lead to 40-36. Despite UConn’s 1-of-14 shooting from beyond the arc, Reed’s dominance in the paint and 11 offensive rebounds stifled the Paladins’ comeback.

Coach Dan Hurley praised Reed’s “grizzly bear” effort, calling it “as dominant a performance as you’ve probably seen from a big man in tournament history.” Reed admitted missing opportunities in the second half but emphasized the team’s resilience: “I knew I’d be able to dominate down low.”

The win extends UConn’s March Madness hopes despite injuries to Silas Demary Jr. and Jaylin Stewart. Furman, known for historic upsets like 2023’s buzzer-beat over Virginia, outplayed top-tier teams all season but fell short against Reed’s historic night.