Gators Crush Records, Face Iowa in NCAA Tournament

0:00On March 22nd, top-seated Florida Gators advanced to the round of 32 in the 2026 NCAA tournament after a dominant first-round win over Prairie View A&M. They crushed the opponents by 59 points, scoring 114 in the process, which set multiple program. Records including assists, field goals made, and shooting percentage. That margin ranks as the second largest ever in tournament history. Now they face ninth-seated Iowa on Sunday, March 22nd at 710 pm in Tampa, Florida. The Gators lead the nation in rebounding margins and offensive boards, grabbing 45.7 per game on average. During their 12-game winning streak earlier this season, they outshot foes by a wide margin and held a plus 20.6 scoring edge. Rubin Chignaloo starred in the opener with 14 points and 13 rebounds for his 19th double-double, breaking a 50-year program record. Florida clinched the outright SEC regular season title with back-to-back blowouts over top 20 teams,

1:02including a 34-point route of Arkansas and a win over Mississippi State. They also handled ranked foes like Kentucky, Texas, A&M, Alabama, Vanderbilt, and Tennessee, often with huge runs in defensive stands. Their schedule ranks seventh-tuff is nationally, with top-efficiency numbers on both ends. Chignaloo ranked second nationwide in rebounding at 11.5 per game and is chasing history as the first skater in 50 years to average. Double digits on the boards. Guards like Xavier and Lee and Urban Claves are, provided sharp shooting, while Thomas Howe and Alex Condon delivered double doubles in key wins. And broke out against Tennessee with 23 points. This marched the first ever meeting between Florida and Iowa, as the gators chased their 12th trip to the sweet 16. Kets the game on TBS, or the March Madness app, with radio options on the gators network, or Westwood 1. Florida's momentum makes them a team to watch deep into March.