Florida Gators head coach Todd Golden sounded off about the mid-game scuffle between Alex Condon and Iowa Hawkeyes' forward Alvaro Folgueiras following the conclusion of the contest.
The Florida Gators’ magical 2025-26 college basketball season officially came to a close on Sunday night after a heartbreaking loss to the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Round of 32, 73-72.
Despite the powerhouse SEC program holding a two-point lead over the Hawkeyes with roughly eight seconds left, Iowa forward Alvaro Folgueiras knocked down a massive three-point shot to give his team a one-point lead over Florida with four seconds left on the clock. And while senior guard Xaivian Lee managed to get the ball up the court, the Gators were unable to get up a final shot.
However, an early-game scuffle could have completely changed the course of the matchup.
During the middle of the first half, Gators’ forward Alex Condon and Folgueiras hit the deck while fighting for a rebound, which resulted in Folgueiras throwing a punch at Condon. Both players received a technical foul despite Folgueiras throwing a punch.
When discussing the scuffle between Condon and Folgueiras following the conclusion of the contest, Golden told reporters that Folgueiras was not ejected because his punch did not connect with Condon, according to officials.
"I was told [Folgueiras] threw a punch, but it didn't connect," Golden stated. "So, it didn't go higher than a Flagrant 1. I'm not sure exactly what that means. I really don't understand why [Condon] got a technical, they were both fighting for the ball. I mean [Condon] was just stronger and pulled them down to the floor but they were both grabbing the ball. So it was a confusing play and I'm not really sure how it ended on that result."
Florida's Late-Game Struggles
Mar 22, 2026; Tampa, FL, USA; Florida Gators head coach Todd Golden, Florida Gators forward Thomas Haugh (10) and Iowa Hawkeyes guard Kael Combs (11) are involved in a fight in the first half during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Benchmark International Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn ImagesFolgueiras remaining in the contest would ultimately come back to haunt the Gators, as the veteran big man hit the final shot to send Florida home. In addition to his heroic last-second three, the Hawkeyes’ key playmaker finished the game with 14 points and five rebounds in 18 minutes of play on Sunday night.
While Folgueiras’ presence helped the Hawkeyes take down the Gators this past weekend, Florida’s inability to pull away throughout the second half of the contest played a major factor in the program’s second-round exit.
Golden’s squad was down by 10 at one point in the second half, but managed to regain the lead with roughly seven minutes left. And instead of finding a way to put the nail in the coffin, the matchup became a back-and-forth affair for the rest of the game, allowing for the Hawkeyes to pull off the upset.
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