BREAKING: Defending National Champion Florida Gators Fall to Iowa 73-72 in Stunning Tournament Upset
By Space Coast Daily // March 22, 2026
The Gators shot 50% from the field
ABOVE VIDEO: Watch the highlights from No. 9 Iowa and No. 1 Florida’s matchup in the second round of the 2026 men’s NCAA tournament.
TAMPA, FLORIDA – Ninth-seeded Iowa eliminated top-seeded and defending national champion Florida 73-72 on Sunday night when Alvaro Folgueiras made a 3-pointer with 4.5 seconds remaining in the NCAA Tournament Southeast Region second round at Benchmark International Arena.
Florida had one final chance to pull out the win, but guard Xaivian Lee’s baseline-to-baseline sprint ended with a pass attempt toward forward Alex Condon that was deflected as the buzzer sounded, sealing the Hawkeyes’ upset and ending the Gators’ title defense.
Iowa capitalized on a late opportunity after Florida briefly took control in the closing minutes. The Gators erased a 12-point second-half deficit and went ahead 65-61 with under six minutes to play. Florida still led 72-70 after backup guard Isaiah Brown split a pair of free throws with less than two minutes remaining.
Out of a timeout, Iowa broke Florida’s full-court pressure. Point guard Bennett Stirtz, who finished with 13 points and five assists, found Folgueiras wide open in the right corner. The 6-foot-10 forward set his feet and made the game-winning shot.
Florida was led by Condon, who recorded 21 points, five rebounds and seven assists. Forward Thomas Haugh added 19 points and six rebounds in what could be his final collegiate game.
Tavion Banks paced Iowa with a game-high 20 points.
The Gators shot 50% from the field, including 6 of 19 from 3-point range, and went 20 of 27 at the free-throw line. The Hawkeyes shot 51% overall, hit 7 of 24 from beyond the arc and converted 14 of 22 free throws.
Iowa matched Florida — one of the nation’s top rebounding teams — on the glass with 27 rebounds and held a slight 10-9 edge on the offensive boards.
A key moment came when Brown missed the front end of a critical free-throw attempt late, leaving the door open for Iowa’s final possession.
The Hawkeyes also set the tone early, outscoring Florida 18-12 in the paint during the first half while building a double-digit lead. Iowa finished with a 32-30 advantage in paint points and effectively neutralized Florida center Rueben Chinyelu, the Southeastern Conference’s leading rebounder and defensive player of the year. Chinyelu was held scoreless with just one rebound in 19 minutes while battling foul trouble.
The loss ends Florida’s run as defending national champions, while Iowa advances with one of the tournament’s biggest upsets.
