Folgueiras, Iowa oust Florida in NCAA tournament thriller
ESPN • • sports
Key Points:
- Iowa forward Alvaro Folgueiras hit a game-winning 3-pointer with 4.5 seconds left to secure a 73-72 victory over No. 1 seed Florida, sending the ninth-seeded Hawkeyes to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1999.
- The win marked only Iowa's second victory against a No. 1 seed since the NCAA tournament began seeding teams in 1979 and featured a clutch shot reminiscent of Kris Jenkins' 2016 championship buzzer-beater.
- Folgueiras, who finished with 14 points and five rebounds off the bench, credited his confidence and resilience to his mother, Beatriz Campos, who sent him from Spain to the U.S. to pursue basketball and was present to witness the historic moment.
- Iowa led for most of the game and outperformed Florida in the paint despite concerns about handling the Gators' fast tempo, ultimately breaking Florida's full-court press to create the winning shot opportunity.
- First-year Iowa coach Ben McCollum expressed disbelief and admiration for Folgueiras' "irrational confidence" in making the clutch shot that stunned the home crowd and secured a major upset.
