HAWKS BEAT FLORIDA 73-72 FOR FIRST SWEET 16 SINCE 1999
Alvaro Folgueiras’ last second three put the Hawkeyes over the top in a knock-down drag-out against the Gators
Mar 22, 2026; Tampa, FL, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes forward Alvaro Folgueiras (7) makes a go-ahead three-point basket against the Florida Gators late in the second half during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Benchmark International Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images The Iowa Hawkeyes (23-12) took down the defending champion Florida Gators (27-8), 73-72, on an Alvaro Folgueiras 3 with 4. 5 seconds remaining.
The Hawks were the tougher team from the jump as they built a 10 point lead in the first half and led for 26:20. All of this came with another inefficient night from the field from Bennett Stirtz, who had 13 points on 5/16 shooting but added 5 assists, including one on the final basket as he broke Florida’s press. Tavion Banks led the Hawks with 20 points on 7/10 shooting and Folgueiras added 14.
Folgueiras’ night almost ended early, as he was tied up by Alex Condon on a rebound. After being leveraged to the floor, Big Al punched at the ball. Both Condon and Folgueiras were assessed technical fouls.
The Hawks played with an edge all game but it felt like the game was about to reach a boil if the refs had administered that any differently. It wasn’t just Folgueiras who was fighting as Iowa took it straight to Florida’s front line with 18 points in the paint, which allowed Iowa to build a 10 point lead off a 15-2 run which spanned nearly 7 minutes. Iowa was 7/8 on layups and held up defensively down low despite accruing fouls to their own forwards.