Key takeaways from Florida basketball's loss vs Iowa in March Madness
Florida basketball was stunned by the No. 9 Iowa Hawkeyes in the second round of March Madness. Here are three takeaways from the upset in Tampa.
Florida basketball's March Madness title defense is over—ended by a 3-pointer in the final seconds. Alvaro Folgueiras drilled a 3-pointer in the corner to give the No. 9 seed Iowa Hawkeyes a stunning 73-72 victory over the defending national champions in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in Tampa.
Todd Golden and the Gators fought back from a 12-point deficit to take a late lead, only for Folgueiras to break Florida's heart with the dagger. Alex Condon led Florida with 21 points and Thomas Haugh added 19, but none of it mattered in the end. The defending national champions are going home, eliminated by a team they should have beaten in their own backyard.
Take a look at the three key takeaways from the game below. Florida's second half run wasn't enough Down by as many as 12 points and shooting ice cold, the Gators managed to rally from behind and shift the energy of the game. Haugh, Condon and Xaivian Lee made plays when the Gators needed them most.
With eight seconds left and a free throw giving Florida a 72-70 lead, the comeback looked complete. Then Folgueiras caught a pass in the corner, rose up for a 3-pointer and ended it. IOWA TAKES THE LEAD LATE!