Florida Basketball Eliminated After Failing to Get Final Shot

Gators unable to get stop and score in final seconds against Iowa

Mar. 23, 2026 at 4:25am

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The defending national champion Florida Gators were eliminated from the NCAA Tournament after failing to get off a final shot in the closing seconds of their Round of 32 loss to Iowa. Florida had fought back to tie the game late, but was unable to get a stop on defense or score on their final possession, ending their season.

Why it matters

Florida's early tournament exit is a disappointment for the defending champions, who were expected to make a deep run in the tournament. The inability to execute in the final moments will be a tough pill to swallow for the Gators, who had battled back to put themselves in position to win the game.

The details

With the game tied in the final seconds, Florida was unable to get a stop on defense and then failed to get off a final shot attempt before time expired, resulting in the heartbreaking loss to Iowa. The Gators had fought hard to erase a late deficit and tie the game, only to come up short in the end.

  • The game took place on March 23, 2026 in the Round of 32 of the NCAA Tournament.

The players

Isaiah Brown

A player for the Florida Gators basketball team.

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What they’re saying

“Working as hard as we did just to get back into position to where we could win the game – it's not the outcome you kind of want to see. It just hurts. This one stings.”

— Isaiah Brown, Florida Basketball Player

The takeaway

Florida's early tournament exit is a tough loss for the defending champions, who were unable to execute in the final moments to pull out the win. The Gators' inability to get a stop on defense or get off a final shot attempt will be a difficult end to their season.