Iowa’s Alvaro Folgueiras Shared Sweet Moment With His Mom After Game-Winning Shot

After Florida’s Isaiah Brown made one of two free throws with eight seconds left to give the Gators a two-point lead, the No. 9 Iowa squad knew they needed a playmaker to deliver a game-winning shot. With four seconds left in the game, Hawkeyes star Alvaro Folgueiras shot from beyond the arc as Iowa fans held their breath. Swish. The Hawkeyes fans in attendance went wild.

Folgueiras’s shot was enough to secure the win for his Hawkeyes as Florida failed to answer with a basket of their own. Down go the reigning champions, while the Hawkeyes are making their first visit to the Sweet 16 since 1999.

So, how did Folgueiras celebrate his huge three-pointer? By running to the stands after the buzzer to give his mom a giant hug. The mother and son embraced for seconds as he tried to digest what just happened on the basketball court. He became a March Madness hero for his team.

Iowa's Alvaro Folgueiras who hit the game-winner to knock off Florida, shared a moment with his mom after the victory ❤️ pic.twitter.com/IYtDfYyUiF
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) March 23, 2026

The Spanish player lost his dad at age nine, and he always points to the sky after making a three-pointer. He kept the tradition going after his game-winner on Sunday night. In an on-court interview with TBS after the game, Folgueiras explained how much his mother means to him after all they’ve been through together.

“It’s really special,” Folgueiras said. “We went through a lot of moments in the season, and I’ve been [through] a lot of moments in my life. My mom is there after fighting for me her whole life. March is for the dreamers, and there’s no better dreamers than us.”

"March is for the dreamers" ❤️

Alvaro Folgueiras speaks on his relationship with his mom and the Iowa team 👏#MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/LMyWG2u1h6
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 23, 2026

It’s even more special knowing that this is only the third time Folgueiras’s mother has been able to watch him play college basketball, via the Des Moines Register. Before the NCAA tournament, he hadn’t seen his mom since August. His mom got to watch her son blossom into a March Madness hero in person. Cue the tears.

Iowa will go on to face No. 4 Nebraska in the Sweet 16 next weekend. Nebraska knocked off Vanderbilt after they just barely failed to complete a buzzer beater on Saturday.

Nine seeds who upset one seeds in the NCAA tournament

As a No. 9 seed, Iowa was seen as a major underdog to No. 1 Florida. Yet, the Hawkeyes became just the ninth No. 9 seed to upset a No. 1 in NCAA tournament history since 1979 when seeding began. Here’s a look at every ninth seed to upset a top seed.

Year	No. 9 Seed	No. 1 Seed
1979	Pennsylvania	UNC
1981	Saint Joseph’s	DePaul
1992	UTEP	Kansas
1994	Boston College	UNC
2004	UAB	Kentucky
2010	Northern Iowa	Kansas
2013	Wichita State	Gonzaga
2018	Florida State	Xavier
2026	Iowa	Florida

Florida isn’t the first reigning championship team to be upset by a ninth seed the following year. North Carolina won the 1993 title, then lost to Boston College the following year.

Iowa NCAA tournament results in last 10 years

Since the 2015–16 season, the Hawkeyes made the NCAA tournament six times, including this year. Here’s how they fared in each of those appearances.

Year	Round	Seed	Result
2016	Second Round	7	Lost to Villanova
2019	Second Round	10	Lost to Tennessee
2021	Second Round	2	Lost to Oregon
2022	First Round	5	Lost to Richmond
2023	First Round	8	Lost to Auburn
2026	TBD	9	TBD

The Hawkeyes’ best finish in the modern era came in 1980 when they reached the Final Four before losing to Louisville. Iowa made the Elite Eight once since then in 1987. The Hawkeyes did play in the NCAA final in 1956, losing to San Francisco.