Iowa produced one of the biggest surprises of this year’s NCAA Tournament by knocking out defending champion Florida with a dramatic 73 72 victory. The winning moment came with just 4.5 seconds left, when Alvaro Folgueiras buried a three pointer that sent the Hawkeyes into the Sweet 16.
The result gave Iowa its first place in the regional semi finals since 2015 and made Florida the first No 1 seed to fall in this year’s March Madness.
Late three completes stunning turnaround
Iowa had looked in control earlier in the second half after building a 12 point lead, but Florida fought back and moved in front 72 70 with only eight seconds remaining. At that point, the Gators seemed close to escaping with the win.
Instead, Iowa broke the full court pressure with ease and found Folgueiras alone in the corner. The Spanish forward calmly knocked down the shot that changed everything. Florida still had a final chance, but the last possession broke down before a shot could be taken.
That finish sealed one of the tournament’s biggest upsets and kept Iowa’s impressive run alive under first year coach Ben McCollum.
Folgueiras made the night even more emotional
After the game, Folgueiras spoke about the personal meaning behind the moment. The Iowa forward, who comes from Malaga, dedicated the win to his parents and paid special tribute to his mother, who supported his move to the United States when he was just 16.
He also remembered his father, who died when he was nine, saying the moment was for both of them. His mother was in the arena and watched him play in person for the first time in two years, which made the celebration even more moving.
Folgueiras said that when basketball becomes difficult, he thinks about his mother’s resilience and uses that as motivation. For him, the winning shot carried far more than just sporting value.
Florida never fully looked settled
The Gators arrived after a huge 59 point win in the previous round, but this game was much tougher from the start. Even with a crowd that strongly favored Florida, the defending champions could not control the contest in the way many expected.
Tension also rose during the first half when a loose ball battle between Folgueiras and Alex Condon led to a brief confrontation on the floor. Both players received technical fouls after the incident, but Iowa did not lose focus and stayed in the fight throughout the game.
Iowa now marches on with belief growing
With this win, ninth seeded Iowa moves into the South Region semi finals, where Nebraska awaits. More importantly, the Hawkeyes now carry real momentum after eliminating one of the biggest names left in the bracket.
For Florida, the defeat ends the title defense far earlier than expected. For Iowa, it was a night of nerves, emotion and belief, all decided by one fearless shot in the final seconds.
