No 9 Iowa shock reigning champions Florida in final seconds to seal March Madness upset

• Alvaro Folgueiras nails three-pointer in final seconds

• Gators are first No seed to exit this year’s tournament

Alvaro Folgueiras nailed a three-pointer with 4.5 seconds remaining and Iowa eliminated the defending national champion, Florida, sending Gators home with a 73-72 victory on Sunday in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Under first-year coach Ben McCollum, Iowa reached the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2015, while Florida (27-8) became the first No 1 seed to be knocked out of this year’s March Madness.

The ninth-seeded Hawkeyes (23-12) wasted a 12-point lead in the second half but rallied in the final minutes. They will face No 4 seed Nebraska in the South Region semi-finals on Thursday night in Houston.