Florida vs Iowa score, highlights: Hawkeyes upset Gators on game-winning 3-pointer

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Florida vs Iowa score, highlights: Hawkeyes upset Gators on game-winning 3-pointer

Florida vs Iowa score, highlights: Hawkeyes upset Gators on game-winning 3-pointer

Matthew Glenesk and Austin Curtright, USA TODAY · USA TODAY Sports

Sun, Mar 22, 2026 ·

6 min read

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Follow all of Sunday's NCAA Tournament second round games with USA TODAY Sports' live updates .

Iowa basketball busted some brackets on Sunday, March 22, against No. 1 Florida .

The No. 9 seed Hawkeyes upset Florida 73-72 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament after Alvaro Folgueiras nailed a game-winning 3-pointer with four seconds remaining to defeat the defending national champions. The win sets up a matchup against No. 4 seed Nebraska in the Sweet 16, in a battle that will feature a whole lot of corn.

Iowa Hawkeyes forward Cooper Koch (8) celebrates after a play against the Florida Gators in the second half during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Benchmark International Arena.
(Matt Pendleton, Imagn Images)

Iowa Hawkeyes forward Alvaro Folgueiras (7) celebrates after defeating the Florida Gators in a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Benchmark International Arena.
(Nathan Ray Seebeck, Imagn Images)

Tavion Banks #6 of the Iowa Hawkeyes dunks the ball against Alex Condon #21 of the Florida Gators during the second half in the second round of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Benchmark International Arena on March 22, 2026 in Tampa, Florida.
(Mike Carlson, Getty Images)

Iowa Hawkeyes guard Kael Combs (11) celebrates after defeating the Florida Gators in a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Benchmark International Arena.
(Matt Pendleton, Imagn Images)

Alvaro Folgueiras #7 of the Iowa Hawkeyes attempts a three point basket against the Florida Gators with under five seconds left during the second half in the second round of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Benchmark International Arena on March 22, 2026 in Tampa, Florida.
(Mike Carlson, Getty Images)

Iowa Hawkeyes forward Alvaro Folgueiras (7) makes a go-ahead three-point basket against the Florida Gators in the second half during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Benchmark International Arena.
(Matt Pendleton, Imagn Images)

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.
(Nathan Ray Seebeck, Imagn Images)

Iowa Hawkeyes guard Bennett Stirtz (14) dribbles the ball against the Florida Gators in the second half during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Benchmark International Arena.
(Nathan Ray Seebeck, Imagn Images)

Iowa Hawkeyes guard Bennett Stirtz (14) shoots against the Florida Gators in the first half during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Benchmark International Arena.
(Matt Pendleton, Imagn Images)

Iowa Hawkeyes forward Cooper Koch (8) holds his follow through on a shot against the Florida Gators in the second half during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Benchmark International Arena.
(Nathan Ray Seebeck, Imagn Images)

Iowa Hawkeyes forward Cooper Koch (8) and Iowa Hawkeyes guard Kael Combs (11) celebrate after a play against the Florida Gators in the second half during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Benchmark International Arena
(Matt Pendleton, Imagn Images)

Iowa Hawkeyes forward Alvaro Folgueiras (7) high-fives Iowa Hawkeyes forward Cam Manyawu (3) against the Florida Gators in the second half during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Benchmark International Arena.
(Nathan Ray Seebeck, Imagn Images)

Iowa Hawkeyes forward Alvaro Folgueiras (7) is seen against the Florida Gators in the first half during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Benchmark International Arena.
(Matt Pendleton, Imagn Images)

Florida Gators guard Isaiah Brown (20) dunks the ball past Iowa Hawkeyes forward Cooper Koch (8) in the second half during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Benchmark International Arena.
(Matt Pendleton, Imagn Images)

Iowa Hawkeyes forward Alvaro Folgueiras (7) reacts after a play against the Florida Gators in the second half during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Benchmark International Arena
(Nathan Ray Seebeck, Imagn Images)

Florida Gators guard Xaivian Lee (1) passes the ball around Iowa Hawkeyes forward Alvaro Folgueiras (7) in the final seconds as Florida Gators was unable to get a shot off in the second half during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Benchmark International Arena.
(Nathan Ray Seebeck, Imagn Images)

Florida Gators forward Alex Condon (21) reacts after losing to the Iowa Hawkeyes in a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Benchmark International Arena.
(Matt Pendleton, Imagn Images)

Alex Condon #21 of the Florida Gators reacts after being defeated by the Iowa Hawkeyes in the second round of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Benchmark International Arena on March 22, 2026 in Tampa, Florida.
(Mike Carlson, Getty Images)

Thomas Haugh #10 of the Florida Gators reacts after being defeated by the Iowa Hawkeyes in the second round of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Benchmark International Arena on March 22, 2026 in Tampa, Florida.
(Mike Carlson, Getty Images)

March Madness conference records: Big Ten leads at 11-2; How are SEC, Big 12 doing?

REQUIRED READING: Florida basketball stunned by Iowa in March Madness Round 2 upset

First-year coach Ben McCollum has now taken Iowa to its first Sweet 16 since 1999, a feat Fran McCaffery surprisingly never accomplished during his long tenure. McCollum, only in his second season coaching at the Division I level, already has three NCAA Tournament wins.

HIT REFRESH FOR UPDATES.

Florida vs Iowa score

TEAMS	1H	2H	F
Iowa	33	40	73
Florida	31	41	72

Iowa heads to Sweet 16 for the first time since 1999

The top upset of the NCAA Tournament so far goes to Iowa, courtesy of a wild game-winning shot by Alvaro Folgueiras on Iowa's final possession.

Florida didn't get a shot off on its final possession.

Iowa takes the lead!

Wow, Alvaro Folgueiras sinks a 3-pointer to give Iowa a 73-72 lead with four seconds left. What a shot in a huge moment.

Bennett Stirtz misses go-ahead layup

Iowa gets a possession down 71-70 with no shot clock, but Bennett Stirtz driving layup misses and Florida grabs the rebound. Florida makes one of two ensuing free-throw attempts to extend its lead to 72-70 with 8.9 seconds left.

Iowa is going to have another shot. Can Stirtz capitalize on the second chance?

Cooper Koch is on fire from 3-point range

Florida takes a 65-61 lead, looking like it was about to take over the game. However, Iowa isn't going down without a fight. Bennett Stirtz is fouled and nails a pair of free throws before Cooper Koch makes his fourth 3-pointer of the second half to give the Hawkeyes a 66-65 lead with 3:55 left.

This one is going to come down to the wire, folks.

Iowa takes 61-60 lead

Florida briefly takes a 60-58 lead, but Iowa immediately answers with another 3-pointer by Cooper Koch, his third of the game. Iowa leads 61-60 with 6:35 left in regulation.

This game is turning into a banger.

Florida pulls within a point

Florida only trails 57-56 after Xaivian Lee nails a 25-foot 3-pointer, which forces an Iowa timeout. The Gators are on a 17-6 run since coach Todd Golden last called a timeout following an Iowa run.

Iowa keeping Florida bigs in check

Florida has arguably the best frontcourt in college basketball, but Iowa has shut them down so far. Thomas Haugh and Alex Condon have 12 and 11 points, respectively, although Haugh only has one field goal with the rest of his points coming from the free-throw line. Rueben Chinyelu has no points on one shot attempt.

Florida is shooting 44% from the field and is 4-of-13 from 3-point range.

Florida calls timeout after Iowa run

Iowa is on a 13-2 run and takes a 51-39 lead with 14:11 left after Cooper Koch nails a 3-pointer, which forces a Florida timeout. Tavion Banks leads all scorers with 18 points for the Hawkeyes.

Florida is in trouble and needs to act fast in order to avoid upset.

Iowa leads Florida 33-31 at halftime

Iowa has Florida on upset watch, as it takes a 33-31 lead into halftime after Kael Combs' sinks a 7-foot floater just before the buzzer to break the tie.

Iowa's Tavion Banks was hot in the first half, and leads all scorers with 14 points, even though he has missed three free throws already. Star guard Bennett Stirtz is 3-of-7 shooting with six points, four rebounds and two assists.

Iowa defense is swarming

Iowa is hanging with Florida in the first half, thanks to its defense holding quite strong against the Gators. Florida is shooting 33% from the field, and Iowa is ahead 28-25 with less than three minutes left in the first half.

Iowa pushes lead to double digits

Iowa is sticking around, and the lead is now up to double digits. Tavion Banks and Bennett Stirtz continue to impress, and the Hawkeyes have the No. 1 seed on early upset watch.

Hawkeyes off to a hot start vs the champs

What time is Florida vs Iowa?

Time:7:10 p.m. ET, Sunday.

What channel is Iowa vs Florida? How to watch, streaming info

The game is airing on TBS, streaming via Fubo .

Florida vs Iowa prediction, odds

Odds provided by BetMGM , as of 1 p.m., Sunday.

∎ Andrew Abadie, Gainesville Sun :Florida 84, Iowa 73

The storyline of this matchup will be the two contrasting tempos between Iowa and Florida. The Gators play a much faster pace compared to the Hawkeyes. Look for Xaivian Lee and Boogie Fland to have big games as this matchup will be a test for the duo. Even with Iowa playing at a slower tempo, Florida's front court has a clear advantage.

∎ Tyler Tachman, Des Moines Register : Florida 86, Iowa 70

While Iowa has had a solid first season under Ben McCollum, the dream of a deep March run ends here. The Gators are simply too deep and too consistent. The loss to Vandy in the SEC Tournament was a bit of a wake-up call, plus this is essentially a home game for the Gators, since it's being played in Tampa. Expect the reigning champs to come out determined to repeat and send the Hawkeyes home.

John Leuzzi:Florida
Jordan Mendoza:Florida
Ehsan Kassim:Florida
Blake Schuster:Florida
Moneyline:Florida (-550); Iowa (+400)
Spread:Florida (-9.5)
Over/under total:145.5

Olivier Rioux height : How tall is Number 32 on Florida?

Earlier this season, Florida 7-9 center Olivier Rioux became the tallest player to play in an NCAA basketball game.

He broke the mark of Manut Bol, who was 7-7 and played at Division II Bridgeport.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Florida vs Iowa score, highlights: Hawkeyes upset Gators in wild finish

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Iowa shocks Florida with statement NCAA tournament upset

Iowa shocks Florida with statement NCAA tournament upset

Iowa shocks Florida with statement NCAA tournament upset

Iowa shocks Florida with statement NCAA tournament upset

Iowa shocks Florida with statement NCAA tournament upset

Iowa shocks Florida with statement NCAA tournament upset

Iowa shocks Florida with statement NCAA tournament upset

Iowa shocks Florida with statement NCAA tournament upset

Iowa shocks Florida with statement NCAA tournament upset

Iowa shocks Florida with statement NCAA tournament upset

Iowa shocks Florida with statement NCAA tournament upset

Iowa shocks Florida with statement NCAA tournament upset

Iowa shocks Florida with statement NCAA tournament upset

Iowa shocks Florida with statement NCAA tournament upset

Iowa shocks Florida with statement NCAA tournament upset

Iowa shocks Florida with statement NCAA tournament upset

Iowa shocks Florida with statement NCAA tournament upset

Iowa shocks Florida with statement NCAA tournament upset

Iowa shocks Florida with statement NCAA tournament upset

Iowa shocks Florida with statement NCAA tournament upset

Iowa shocks Florida with statement NCAA tournament upset

Iowa shocks Florida with statement NCAA tournament upset

Iowa shocks Florida with statement NCAA tournament upset

Iowa shocks Florida with statement NCAA tournament upset

Iowa shocks Florida with statement NCAA tournament upset

Florida vs Iowa score

Iowa heads to Sweet 16 for the first time since 1999

Iowa takes the lead!

Bennett Stirtz misses go-ahead layup

Cooper Koch is on fire from 3-point range

Iowa takes 61-60 lead

Florida pulls within a point

Iowa keeping Florida bigs in check

Florida calls timeout after Iowa run

Iowa leads Florida 33-31 at halftime

Iowa defense is swarming

Iowa pushes lead to double digits

Hawkeyes off to a hot start vs the champs

What time is Florida vs Iowa?

What channel is Iowa vs Florida? How to watch, streaming info

Florida vs Iowa prediction, odds

Olivier Rioux height : How tall is Number 32 on Florida?