The Florida Gators will not be repeating as national champions.
The Gators, the No. 1 seed in the South Region, exited the men’s NCAA Tournament in the second round after a 73-72 loss to the No. 9 Iowa Hawkeyes.
After trailing by as many as 12 points in the second half, Florida led a furious comeback, taking a 72-70 lead after two Isaiah Brown free throws with under 10 seconds to go.
Then came the game’s decisive sequence.
On the ensuing inbounds play, the Gators’ defense lost track of Bennett Stirtz in the backcourt, and the Hawkeyes guard sprinted down the court and found forward Alvaro Folgueiras in the right corner for the go-ahead 3-pointer. On Florida’s final possession, guard Xaivian Lee drove under the hoop and had nowhere to go, throwing a desperation pass that turned into a loose ball as time expired — meaning the Gators never even got a shot off.
...Keep reading this article on NBC News.
