Iowa Beats No. 1 Seed, Defending Champ Florida in Second Round of March Madness
#Iowa Hawkeyes #Florida Gators #NCAA Tournament #Sweet 16 #Alvaro Folgueiras #Ben McCollum #basketball
📌 Key Takeaways
- Iowa upsets defending champion Florida 73-72 on a last-second 3-pointer by Alvaro Folgueiras.
- Florida becomes the first No. 1 seed eliminated from the 2026 NCAA Tournament.
- Iowa advances to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2015 under first-year coach Ben McCollum.
- The Hawkeyes will face No. 4 seed Nebraska in the South Region semifinals.
📖 Full Retelling
Alvaro Folgueiras nailed a 3-pointer with 4.5 seconds remaining and Iowa eliminated defending national champion Florida, sending the top-seeded Gators home with a 73-72 victory on Sunday in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Under first-year coach Ben McCollum, Iowa reached the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2015, while Florida (27-8) became the first No. 1 seed to be knocked out of this year's March Madness. [March Madness: 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Highlights] The ninth-seeded Hawkeyes (23-12) wasted a 12-point lead in the second half but rallied in the final minutes. They will face No. 4 seed Nebraska in the South Region semifinals Thursday night in Houston. Xaivian Lee’s driving layup put Florida ahead 71-68 with under two minutes left. Bennett Stirtz answered with a floater to cut it to 71-70 with 57 seconds remaining. After Thomas Haugh missed a 3-pointer, Stirtz missed a running layup and Isaiah Brown grabbed the rebound with 8.9 seconds left. Brown made his second free throw. But Iowa easily broke Florida's full-court press and Folguerias was wide open in the corner for his 3. Florida didn't get a shot off before the buzzer, with Lee's desperate drive ending with a pass that Haugh couldn’t handle. Coming off a 59-point victory over Prairie View A&M on Friday night, Florida played like a team that hadn't been tested. It felt like a home game for the Gators, who played in front of a sea of orange and blue at Benchmark International Arena, home of the Tampa Bay Lightning. Fans left stunned. Tavion Banks led Iowa with 20 points, Folgueiras had 14 and Stirtz finished with 13 on another off night when he shot just 5 of 16. Cooper Kock scored 12 points on four 3s. Alex Condon led Florida with 21 points, Haugh had 19 and Lee added 17. A scuffle broke out just past the midpoint of the first half with Iowa leading 19-13 when Condon and Folgueiras battled for a loose ball. Both players went to the floor holding on tightly. Folgueiras swung his
🏷️ Themes
Upset, March Madness
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Original Source
Alvaro Folgueiras nailed a 3-pointer with 4.5 seconds remaining and Iowa eliminated defending national champion Florida, sending the top-seeded Gators home with a 73-72 victory on Sunday in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Under first-year coach Ben McCollum, Iowa reached the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2015, while Florida (27-8) became the first No. 1 seed to be knocked out of this year's March Madness. [March Madness: 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Highlights] The ninth-seeded Hawkeyes (23-12) wasted a 12-point lead in the second half but rallied in the final minutes. They will face No. 4 seed Nebraska in the South Region semifinals Thursday night in Houston. Xaivian Lee’s driving layup put Florida ahead 71-68 with under two minutes left. Bennett Stirtz answered with a floater to cut it to 71-70 with 57 seconds remaining. After Thomas Haugh missed a 3-pointer, Stirtz missed a running layup and Isaiah Brown grabbed the rebound with 8.9 seconds left. Brown made his second free throw. But Iowa easily broke Florida's full-court press and Folguerias was wide open in the corner for his 3. Florida didn't get a shot off before the buzzer, with Lee's desperate drive ending with a pass that Haugh couldn’t handle. Coming off a 59-point victory over Prairie View A&M on Friday night, Florida played like a team that hadn't been tested. It felt like a home game for the Gators, who played in front of a sea of orange and blue at Benchmark International Arena, home of the Tampa Bay Lightning. Fans left stunned. Tavion Banks led Iowa with 20 points, Folgueiras had 14 and Stirtz finished with 13 on another off night when he shot just 5 of 16. Cooper Kock scored 12 points on four 3s. Alex Condon led Florida with 21 points, Haugh had 19 and Lee added 17. A scuffle broke out just past the midpoint of the first half with Iowa leading 19-13 when Condon and Folgueiras battled for a loose ball. Both players went to the floor holding on tightly. Folgueiras swung his
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