Alvaro Folgueiras nailed a three-pointer with 4.5 seconds remaining and Iowa eliminated the defending national champion, Florida, sending 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.
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 semi-finals on Thursday night in Houston.
The Gators led 72-70 with just eight seconds left. But Iowa easily broke Florida’s full-court press and Folguerias was wide open in the corner for his three. Florida didn’t get a shot off before the buzzer, with Xaivian Lee’s desperate drive ending with a pass that Thomas 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.
A scuffle broke out just past the midpoint of the first half with Iowa leading 19-13 when Alex Condon and Folgueiras battled for a loose ball. Folgueiras swung his arm back but didn’t follow through with a punch and the players had to be separated. Florida coach Todd Golden sprinted on to the floor to help calm things down, and both players were assessed technical fouls.
