Iowa Hawkeyes stun defending champions Florida in NCAA tournament
Alvaro Folgueiras hit a decisive three-pointer with 4.5 seconds remaining as Iowa stunned defending national champions Florida to secure a 73-72 victory in the second round of the NCAA tournament in Tampa.
The dramatic triumph sends the top-seeded Gators out of March Madness, making them the first number one seed to be eliminated this year.
Under the guidance of first-year head coach Ben McCollum, the ninth-seeded Hawkeyes have reached the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2015.
Hawkeyes recover from blown lead
Iowa had initially squandered a 12-point advantage in the second half but displayed immense resilience to rally in the closing stages.
Florida appeared poised for victory when Xaivian Lee executed a driving layup to put his side 71-68 ahead with under two minutes on the clock.
However, Bennett Stirtz quickly responded with a crucial floater, slicing the deficit to a single point heading into the final minute.
A frantic sequence followed as Thomas Haugh missed from beyond the arc for the Gators, before Isaiah Brown secured a vital rebound after Stirtz failed to convert a running layup.
Brown subsequently extended Florida’s lead to 72-70 by converting his second free-throw attempt with just 8.9 seconds remaining.
Folgueiras delivers the decisive blow
Faced with full-court pressure, the resilient Hawkeyes seamlessly broke through the defensive press to find Folgueiras completely unmarked in the corner.
The forward made no mistake, sinking the three-pointer to instantly silence the predominantly orange and blue crowd inside the Benchmark International Arena.
Florida failed to even register a shot before the final buzzer sounded, with a desperate drive from Lee ending in a mishandled pass by Haugh.
Tempers flare in physical encounter
The tension of the high-stakes encounter was evident midway through the first half when a skirmish erupted over a loose ball.
Alex Condon and Folgueiras tangled on the floor, prompting Florida coach Todd Golden to sprint onto the court to restore order before both players received technical fouls.
Tavion Banks spearheaded the scoring for the victorious outfit with 20 points, while Folgueiras contributed 14 and Stirtz added 13 despite a challenging shooting night.
Condon led the scoring for the vanquished title holders with 21 points, but it was not enough to prevent a stunning early exit for the reigning champions.