Iowa's Folgueiras hits game-winner to sink defending champs Florida

Junior forward Alvaro Folgueiras delivered the biggest shot of his career to lead Iowa to the Sweet 16.

Mar. 23, 2026 at 2:19am

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In a stunning upset, Iowa's Alvaro Folgueiras hit a game-winning 3-pointer in the final seconds to defeat the defending champion Florida Gators 73-72 and send the Hawkeyes to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. Folgueiras, a junior transfer from Robert Morris, came off the bench to make the clutch shot after being involved in a scuffle earlier in the game.

Why it matters

This win is a major upset and a huge accomplishment for an Iowa program that hasn't reached the Sweet 16 since 1999. Folgueiras, who was the Horizon League Player of the Year last season, has emerged as an unlikely hero for the Hawkeyes in the tournament.

The details

With the game tied at 72-72 and 4.5 seconds remaining, Iowa drew up a play to get the ball to Folgueiras in the corner. The junior calmly drained the game-winning 3-pointer to stun the defending champion Gators. Earlier in the game, Folgueiras was involved in a scuffle with Florida's Alex Condon, which led to double technical fouls, but he was able to put that incident behind him and deliver the biggest shot of his career.

  • On March 22, 2026, Folgueiras and Condon received technical fouls after a scuffle.
  • On March 23, 2026, Folgueiras hit the game-winning 3-pointer with 4.5 seconds left to defeat Florida 73-72.

The players

Alvaro Folgueiras

A 20-year-old junior forward for Iowa who transferred from Robert Morris, where he was the Horizon League Player of the Year in 2024-25. Folgueiras hit the game-winning 3-pointer to defeat Florida.

Alex Condon

A player for the Florida Gators who was involved in a scuffle with Folgueiras earlier in the game, leading to double technical fouls.

Todd Golden

The head coach of the Florida Gators, who was furious with the officials after the scuffle between Folgueiras and Condon, seemingly because Folgueiras wasn't ejected.

Ben McCollum

The head coach of the Iowa Hawkeyes, who recruited Folgueiras after he transferred from Robert Morris.

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What they’re saying

“March is for the dreamers, and there's no better dreamer than us.”

— Alvaro Folgueiras

“It's very special...it's for the dreamers and there's no better dreamer than us.”

— Alvaro Folgueiras

What’s next

The Iowa Hawkeyes will advance to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament, where they will face their next opponent.

The takeaway

Alvaro Folgueiras' game-winning shot to defeat the defending champion Florida Gators is a testament to the unpredictability and magic of March Madness, where unknown players can rise to the occasion and become heroes. This victory is a major accomplishment for an Iowa program looking to make its first deep tournament run since 1999.