The defending champ goes down, another buzzer-beater and the Sweet 16 is set. Catch up on Sunday’s March Madness action
Iowa Hawkeyes guard Bennett Stirtz dribbles the ball against Florida Gators guard Xaivian Lee during their game on Sunday. - Nathan Ray Seebeck/Imagn Images Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened. And wait another year for it to happen again.
The first weekend of March Madness is in the books and it lived up to expectations. A couple of iconic buzzer-beaters, upsets, top teams being put on the ropes and fighting back and the defending champs going home early all marked a fantastic weekend of NCAA basketball. Here’s all you need to know to get caught up on Sunday’s March Madness action: Iowa takes down No.
1 Florida to end Gators’ bid for another title There will be a new national champion in 2026. No. 9 Iowa knocked off Florida, making the Gators the first No.
1 seed to go down in this year’s NCAA tournament. The Gators won the national championship last year and were aiming to repeat. The Hawkeyes led for the majority of the game, building their advantage to as much as 12 points early in the second half.
But the Gators showed the heart of a champion and began clawing their way back into the game, with a transition slam from Alex Condon giving Florida its first lead since the early going. Watching their lead evaporate could have demoralized the Hawkeyes team, but Iowa rallied and the two teams traded buckets and the lead back and forth in the closing minutes. Florida held a two-point lead with just 8.
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