The University of Florida's men's basketball team fell to ninth-seeded Iowa 73-72 in a shocking upset Sunday night at Benchmark International Arena in Tampa. The loss marks the first time since 2014 that Florida has failed to advance past the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Iowa's Alvaro Folgueiras hit a 3-pointer with 4.5 seconds remaining to seal the victory, denying the defending national champions a chance to continue their title defense.
Florida entered the game as heavy favorites, having won the 2025 NCAA Championship. The Gators erased a 12-point deficit in the second half and took a 65-61 lead with under six minutes left. Backup guard Isaiah Brown split a pair of free throws with less than two minutes remaining, giving Florida a 72-70 advantage. But Iowa's Bennett Stirtz broke through Florida's full-court pressure during a timeout, setting up the final play.
Xaivian Lee, Florida's leading scorer, made a desperate baseline-to-baseline sprint in the final seconds. His pass attempt to forward Alex Condon was deflected as the buzzer sounded, preserving Iowa's lead. The Hawkeyes, who entered the game with a 19-14 record, had no timeouts remaining and no room for error. Folgueiras' shot came after a missed layup by Florida's Colin Smith, who was fouled but missed both free throws.
The loss ends Florida's season with a 27-6 record. The Gators had been favored by double digits in the game, but Iowa's defense held them to 50% shooting from the field. This is the first NCAA Tournament loss for Florida coach Todd Golden, who took over the program in 2024. Iowa advances to the Round of 32 for the first time since 2018, setting up a potential matchup with No. 3 seed Kansas in the regional semifinals.