Gators' Title Defense Falls in Shocking Upset

0:00On March 23rd, the top-seated Florida Gators saw their title defense end in stunning fashion, Sunday, dropping a 73-72. Heartbreaker to the ninth-seated Iowa Hawkeyes in the NCAA tournaments second round. Florida's Big Men, who powered them all season, had a rough start inside, combining for just a handful of points early while Iowa dominated the pain, and shot lights out from close range. The Gators showed their grit with a strong second half push, but long stretches without a field goal kept them playing catch up, forcing them to lean. On free throws, just to stay alive. Key players like Thomas Howe and Alex Condon stepped up late with solid scoring, but a missed free throw by Isaiah Brown opened the door for Iowa's. Game-winning free pointer, and Florida couldn't get a final shot off. This lost caps another tough close for the resilient Gators, who battled back time and again, but came up just short when it mattered most.