With just 4.5 seconds remaining on the clock, Alvaro Folgueiras knocked down an uncontested three-pointer from the right corner, propelling ninth-seeded Iowa to a stunning 73-72 upset victory over top-seeded defending national champion Florida in second-round action at Tampa, Florida.
The Gators’ Xaivian Lee, who finished with 17 points, rushed down court in the final moments but couldn’t manage to get a shot attempt off, his pass intended for Thomas Haugh near the rim falling incomplete. The dramatic finish allowed first-year Iowa head coach Ben McCollum to guide the Hawkeyes to the program’s first Sweet 16 berth since 1999, earning a Thursday matchup in Houston against fourth-seeded Nebraska in an all-Big Ten showdown.
Tavian Banks led Iowa’s scoring effort with 20 points and pulled down six rebounds, while Folgueiras contributed 14 points beyond his game-winning shot. Despite an uncharacteristic 0-for-9 performance from three-point territory, sharpshooter Bennett Stirtz managed 13 points, and Cooper Koch provided 12 points on four made three-pointers for the Hawkeyes (23-12).
Florida received 21 points and seven assists from Alex Condon, with Haugh adding 19 points for the Gators (27-8). Despite leading the nation in rebounding average, Florida managed just 27 rebounds, matching Iowa’s total on the boards.
WEST REGION
No. 1 Arizona 78, No. 9 Utah State 66
Jaden Bradley contributed 18 points with 12 coming after halftime, helping the Wildcats fend off a furious Aggies rally in second-round competition in San Diego.
The Wildcats (34-2) secured their third straight Sweet 16 berth and fourth in five seasons, setting up a Thursday clash with fourth-seeded Arkansas in San Jose, California. Motiejus Krivas delivered 11 points and 14 rebounds, with nine coming on offensive possessions. Koa Peat contributed 14 points and 10 rebounds, as Arizona dominated the glass with a decisive 54-26 rebounding edge. Brayden Burries chipped in 16 points.
Utah State (29-7) was paced by Garry Clark’s 13 points, while MJ Collins Jr. scored 12, Drake Allen added 11, and Mason Falslev contributed eight.
No. 2 Purdue 79, No. 7 Miami 69
Fletcher Loyer exploded for a game-leading 24 points on an efficient seven field goal attempts, powering the Boilermakers past the Hurricanes in West Region second-round play in St. Louis.
Loyer connected on 6 of 7 field goals, including a perfect 4-for-4 from beyond the arc, and made all eight free throw attempts as Purdue (29-8) advanced to Thursday’s regional semifinal against 11th-seeded Texas (21-14).
Trey Kaufman-Renn contributed 19 points and nine rebounds for the Boilermakers, who shot 25 of 47 from the field and an impressive 21 of 22 from the charity stripe. Freshman Shelton Henderson led Miami (26-9) with 18 points, eight rebounds and four assists. Malik Reneau scored 16 points and Tre Donaldson added 13, though he struggled with a 4-of-15 shooting performance.
MIDWEST REGION
No. 2 Iowa State 82, No. 7 Kentucky 63
Playing without versatile star forward Joshua Jefferson, the Cyclones relied on their aggressive defense to overwhelm Kentucky, forcing 20 turnovers that translated into 25 points during a dominant performance in St. Louis.
With Jefferson sidelined due to an ankle injury sustained in Friday’s 108-74 victory over Tennessee State, Iowa State (29-7) leaned heavily on veteran point guard Tamin Lipsey. He tallied a game-high 26 points with 17 coming in the second half, adding 10 assists—one more than Kentucky managed as a team. Milan Momcilovic scored 20 points, Nate Heise added 12, and freshman Killyan Toure netted 10.
Denzel Aberdeen paced Kentucky (22-14) with 20 points and Otega Oweh contributed 18 points and eight rebounds. The Wildcats shot a respectable 46.7% from the field but managed only 45 attempts due to their turnover troubles.
No. 6 Tennessee 79, No. 3 Virginia 72
Ja’Kobi Gillespie recorded 21 points and six assists, Bishop Boswell added 13 points and nine assists, and the Volunteers defeated the Cavaliers in Philadelphia to reach their fourth consecutive Sweet 16.
Tennessee (24-11), which will face second-seeded Iowa State in the Midwest Region semifinals, also received 16 points from freshman Nate Ament after he played 18 scoreless minutes in the opening round while battling an ankle injury. Ament scored 13 points in the second half, with teammates J.P. Estrella and Jaylen Carey each contributing 10 points.
Belgian freshman Thijs De Ridder sparked Virginia’s comeback attempt with 17 of his 22 points coming after halftime. Malik Thomas scored 12 points, while Jacari White and Chance Mallory each had 10 for the Cavaliers (30-16), who doubled their win total from the previous season under first-year coach Ryan Odom.
No. 4 Alabama 90, No. 5 Texas Tech 65
Latrell Wrightsell scored 24 points as the Crimson Tide unleashed a devastating three-point barrage to rout the Red Raiders in Tampa, Florida.
Houston Mallette scored all 15 of his points on three-pointers, Amari Allen contributed 12 points despite missing all four three-point attempts, and Aiden Sherrell added 10 points. Labaron Philon Jr. provided nine points and a career-best 12 assists. Alabama (25-9) advanced to its fourth straight Sweet 16, earning a Friday night meeting with top-seeded Michigan in the Midwest Region at Chicago.
LeJuan Watts led Texas Tech (23-11) with 16 points and seven rebounds, Donovan Atwell scored 12, and Leon Horner had 10. The Red Raiders dropped four of their final five games, with a once-promising season derailed after losing star JT Toppin to a season-ending injury.
EAST REGION
No. 5 St. John’s 67, No. 4 Kansas 65
Dylan Darling scored his first points of St. John’s tournament victory over Kansas as time expired, sending the Red Storm to their first Sweet 16 since 1999.
St. John’s (30-6) controlled the second half and built a 14-point advantage before Kansas (24-11), led by Darryn Peterson’s 21 points, rallied to create a 65-65 deadlock. The Red Storm shot just 25 of 69 (36.2%) from the floor, while the Jayhawks connected on 24 of 54 (44.4%).
The difference for St. John’s came from three-point range, particularly Bryce Hopkins’ long-distance shooting. Hopkins led the team with 18 points, all coming on 6-of-9 three-point shooting. The remaining Red Storm players combined for just 5-of-26 from deep. Peterson made 3 of 8 three-pointers for Kansas, but his teammates managed only two combined triples.
No. 2 UConn 73, No. 7 UCLA 57
Alex Karaban established a career-high with 27 points, freshman Braylon Mullins contributed 17, and the Huskies defeated the Bruins to advance to the Sweet 16.
UConn (31-5) will meet third-seeded Michigan State in the East Region semifinals. The program is pursuing a third national championship to conclude Karaban’s four-year career, after eventual champion Florida eliminated the Huskies in last year’s second round. Tarris Reed Jr. recorded 10 points and 13 rebounds but shot just 3 of 8 from the field. Jayden Ross added 11 points.
Xavier Booker scored 12 points on perfect 4-of-4 shooting in the first half for UCLA (24-12), but was contained afterward and finished with 13. Eric Dailey Jr. scored 12, Donovan Dent added 11 with nine assists, and Skyy Clark also contributed 11.
