Iowa shocks No. 1 Florida
Iowa upset top-seeded Florida 73-72 in a second-round March Madness stunner that blew up brackets and sent the Gators home early — it was the tournament’s biggest upset over the weekend. Videos of the wild finish are already trending, with full clips and the final 2:40 replay available for rewatch. (nbcnews.com) (youtube.com)
Alvaro Folgueiras drilled a go-ahead 3 with 4.5 seconds remaining after Bennett Stirtz drove the lane and kicked out the pass that left Folgueiras wide open in the corner. (espn.com) Folgueiras finished with 14 points and five rebounds, Stirtz logged 13 points with five rebounds and five assists, and Florida’s Alex Condon scored 21 points. (espn.com) Iowa led for roughly 26 minutes and built as much as a 12-point advantage in the game, and the contest featured a contentious held‑ball scrap that produced matching technical fouls on Folgueiras and Condon. (espn.com) Tempers flared on the sideline as coaches Ben McCollum and Todd Golden exchanged words after the scuffle, and Golden publicly criticized the officiating in the aftermath. (espn.com) Golden later said his staff had intended to foul late to force free throws rather than allow a game-tying or go-ahead 3, a revelation that drew scrutiny from critics and commentators. (newsweek.com) Under first‑year head coach Ben McCollum, Iowa advanced to the Sweet 16 for the program’s first trip that deep since 1999. (espn.com) Iowa’s next game is scheduled against No. 4 seed Nebraska in the South Region Sweet 16 on Thursday, March 26, with the matchup set for prime‑time TV on TBS in Houston. (ncaa.com)
