The madness of March delivered one of its biggest shocks Sunday night, as the ninth-seeded Iowa Hawkeyes stunned the top-seeded and defending national champion Florida Gators 73–72 in the second round of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship South Region, punching their ticket to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1999.
Iowa’s Alvaro Folgueiras delivered the defining moment of the tournament so far, drilling a wide-open corner 3-pointer with 4.5 seconds remaining after Bennett Stirtz drew defensive attention and kicked the ball out. The clutch shot completed a late rally and eliminated the defending champs in dramatic fashion.
Under first-year head coach Ben McCollum, the Hawkeyes (23–12) continued a remarkable turnaround season, becoming the first No. 9 seed to defeat a No. 1 seed since Florida State knocked off Xavier in 2018.
The final minutes unfolded with postseason intensity and precision. Florida appeared poised to escape after Xaivian Lee’s driving layup gave the Gators a 71–68 lead with under two minutes remaining. Stirtz answered with a tough floater to cut the deficit to one with 57 seconds left.
After Thomas Haugh missed a 3-pointer on Florida’s next possession, Stirtz’s running layup attempt came up short—but Isaiah Brown secured the offensive rebound with 8.9 seconds remaining. Brown split a pair of free throws, setting up Iowa’s final chance.
Florida attempted full-court pressure, but Iowa broke it cleanly. Though the play was designed for Stirtz, the defense collapsed on him, leaving Folgueiras alone in the corner. Stirtz made the right read—and Folgueiras made the biggest shot of Iowa’s season.
Florida never got a clean look on its final possession. Lee drove late but was forced to pass, and Haugh couldn’t secure the ball before time expired.
Despite building a 12-point second-half lead, Iowa had to weather a determined Florida comeback in front of what felt like a home crowd for the Gators at Benchmark International Arena in Tampa.
Florida entered the matchup fresh off a dominant 59-point win over Prairie View A&M and looked confident early. But Iowa matched the Gators’ physicality on both ends of the floor and refused to fold when momentum shifted late.
Tavion Banks led Iowa with 20 points, while Folgueiras added 14 and Stirtz finished with 13 despite shooting just 5-for-16 from the field. Cooper Koch contributed 12 points, all coming from beyond the arc with four 3-pointers.
Florida (27–8) was paced by Alex Condon’s 21 points, while Haugh added 19 and Lee contributed 17 in the losing effort.
McCollum’s impact has been immediate. After arriving from Drake and bringing Stirtz and three other players with him, he has quickly reshaped Iowa’s identity into a resilient, disciplined tournament team capable of competing with anyone.
The victory not only sent the defending champions home—it also made Florida the first No. 1 seed eliminated from this year’s bracket.
Now, the Hawkeyes advance to Houston for a South Region semifinal matchup against the fourth-seeded Nebraska Cornhuskers on Thursday night, with a trip to the Elite Eight on the line.
For Iowa, the message is clear: this Cinderella run isn’t finished yet.
