-
Jenna Lane
Multiple authors
Tampa, Fla. — Trailing by two points against defending national champion and No. 1 seed Florida, Iowa forward Alvaro Folgueiras took a pass from guard Bennett Sturtz for a 3-pointer with 4.5 seconds left that sealed a 73-72 victory Sunday night, sending Argentine Absen to the bench. The Hokies seeded ninth in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1999.
It was Iowa’s second win against a No. 1 seed since the seeding began in 1979 (Syracuse vs. Syracuse in the 1980 regional semifinals), according to ESPN Research. It was the first game-winner in the final five seconds against the tournament’s top seed after Chris Jenkins’ buzzer-beater for Villanova vs. North Carolina in the 2016 national championship game.
“The play was drawn for me to go downhill, and then this dude comes up to me and he’s like, ‘I’m going to be ready, and I’m going to make it,'” Stirtz said of Folguiras, who finished with 14 points and five rebounds off the bench. “He actually did.”
First-year Hokies coach Ben McCollum was in disbelief.
“What did you say?” he asked.
Folguiras responded, “I did. That’s who I was.”
McCollum replied, “He has . . .”
“Ultra confidence,” Stirtz says.
McCollum added: “Unreasonable confidence.”
Folgueiras needs it. So did his mother, Beatriz Campos, when she sent him to the United States from Malaga, Spain, to pursue his dream of playing basketball.
“He sent a 16-year-old kid to America knowing no English … nothing but dreams and hunger. And it’s for him and my dad. He’s watching over there,” said Falguiras, whose father died when he was 9.
As the Hawkeyes celebrated on the court, Folguiras ran into his mother’s arms. It was the first time he had seen him since August and the first time he had seen him play a college game in person in two years.
“He told me, ‘I love you,’ 100 times. I said, ‘I love you,’ 100 times before,” Falguiras said. “Having my mom here is so special. She’s everything to me. Where would the world be without mom? She’s so tough. She’s been through so much in her life.”
He often worked 14-hour days for Folguiras and his brother Ignacio.
“Sometimes, when I struggle through basketball — and basketball is life — I think of my mom as an example of resilience, and that really inspires me and gives me confidence,” Falguiras said. “Because he’s not just a fighter; he’s a super special person. I’m so lucky to have him as a mom.”
Campos said through his longtime partner Mike, “He’s very proud. This is his son. He’s very proud. We came down here from Spain. To see him play, we never thought we’d get into it, and the last point was unbelievable. This is his son.”
He stood on the floor holding a sign that read, “You’re the best #7,” with a picture of Falguiras. Fans helped him hold it. He was just a few feet away from his son when he made his epic shot.
“I think nobody outside of this locker room really believed in us,” said Stirtz, who had 13 points, five rebounds and five assists.
Two nights earlier, Florida Prairie View posted a 114-55 victory over A&M for the second-largest margin of victory in NCAA Tournament history. There were concerns about how the Hokies would handle Florida’s tempo. But the Hawkeyes led 66% of the game, were outscored by 12 points and were the better team in the paint.
Still, it looks like they’re going to slip the game. Stirtz missed a layup, and Gators guard Isaiah Brown grabbed the rebound then made 1 of 2 free throws after he was fouled, giving Florida a 72-70 lead.
Iowa, though, broke the Gators’ full-court press, and Folguiras was wide open.
“She got it in rhythm and buried it and didn’t hit anything but the net,” McCollum said. “And it was surreal. Like, ‘Oh my God, he just made it.'”
