No 9 Iowa Shock Reigning Champions Florida In Final Seconds To Seal March Madness Upset

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Alvaro Folgueiras nailed a three-pointer pinch 4.5 seconds remaining and Iowa eliminated nan defending nationalist champion, Florida, sending Gators location pinch a 73-72 triumph connected Sunday successful nan 2nd information of nan NCAA Tournament.

Under first-year coach Ben McCollum, Iowa reached nan Sweet 16 for nan first clip since 2015, while Florida (27-8) became nan first No 1 seed to beryllium knocked retired of this year’s March Madness.

The ninth-seeded Hawkeyes (23-12) wasted a 12-point lead successful nan 2nd half but rallied successful nan last minutes. They will look No 4 seed Nebraska successful nan South Region semi-finals connected Thursday nighttime successful Houston.

The Gators led 72-70 pinch conscionable 8 seconds left. But Iowa easy collapsed Florida’s full-court property and Folguerias was wide unfastened successful nan area for his three. Florida didn’t get a changeable disconnected earlier nan buzzer, pinch Xaivian Lee’s hopeless thrust ending pinch a walk that Thomas Haugh couldn’t handle.

Coming disconnected a 59-point triumph complete Prairie View A&M connected Friday night, Florida played for illustration a squad that hadn’t been tested. It felt for illustration a location crippled for nan Gators, who played successful beforehand of a oversea of orangish and bluish astatine Benchmark International Arena, location of nan Tampa Bay Lightning. Fans near stunned.

A scuffle collapsed retired conscionable past nan midpoint of nan first half pinch Iowa starring 19-13 erstwhile Alex Condon and Folgueiras battled for a loose ball. Folgueiras swung his limb backmost but didn’t travel done pinch a punch and nan players had to beryllium separated. Florida coach Todd Golden sprinted connected to nan level to thief calm things down, and some players were assessed method fouls.