Iowa's Alvaro Folgueiras, Mom Embrace for 1st Time Since August After Game-Winning Shot vs. Florida
The late-game heroics from Alvaro Folgueiras in Iowa's 73-72 upset of top-seeded Florida carried an added significance for the junior forward.
Folgueiras drilled a three-pointer from the corner to put the Hawkeyes ahead in the final moments.
He and his teammates were understandably elated when the final buzzer sounded. Folgueiras eventually found his mother in the crowd and gave her a hug.
ESPN's Jenna Laine noted the NCAA tournament is the first time they had seen each other since August.
"She told me, 'I love you,' 100 times. I said, 'I love you,' 100 times back," Folgueiras said, per Laine. "It's super special having my mom here. She's everything for me. Where would the world be without the moms? She's super tough. She's been through a lot of things in life."
Beatriz Campos resides in Málaga, Spain, making it difficult to watch her son in person with any regularity.
She was also in Tampa, Florida, to see the Hawkeyes beat Clemson in the first round. Per Tyler Tachman of the Des Moines Register, it was just the second time she saw her son play live in college. He spent his first two seasons at Robert Morris outside of Pittsburgh.
Iowa is once again an underdog in the next round. It plays No. 4 Nebraska on Thursday. The teams split their season series, so the Hawkeyes may punch their ticket to the Elite Eight.
Regardless of what happens from here, Folgueiras and Campos already have an incredible memory together.
