Kyler Filewich stepped to the free-throw line with 5:32 to play in the Southern Conference championship game, with Wofford leading 77-74 and an NCAA Tournament berth tantalizingly close, the Terriers held their breath. A key chance for Wofford to extend its lead and pad its postseason hopes hung on a career 34 percent free-throw shooter. What happened next took a lot of people watching by surprise. Filewich, a 6-foot-9 senior center, took a dribble, brought the ball down in front of him with both hands, bent his knees and let it fly, shooting underhand. Both shots fell through the net. Though he finished just 3-of-7 from the line, Filewich’s two makes helped the Terriers beat Furman 92-85 and secure Wofford’s first tournament appearance since 2019. Now, Filewich’s unusual form will be on display Thursday when 15th-seeded Wofford meets second-seeded Tennessee in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Lexington, Ky. The Terriers haven’t even tipped, and already they have a viral March Madness sensation. “There’s been a lot of media attention, but that’s definitely not why I did it,” Filewich told The Athletic. “I was struggling so bad, and I made a change to help our team. I’m just doing whatever it takes to win.”
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