Alvaro Folgueiras' shot busted brackets across the nation. But for the Iowa Hawkeyes forward from Spain, his only worry after upsetting No. 1 Florida was seeing his mom.

Moments after No. 9 Iowa defeated No. 1 seed Florida 74-72 thanks to Folgueirias' ice-cold corner 3 in the final seconds of the game, he ran over to his mother and shared a long, emotional embrace.

"Well, we didn't say much," he said after the game. "She told me 'I love you' 100 times. I said 'I love you' 100 times back. It's super special having my mom here. She's everything for me. Where the world would be without the moms. She's super tough. She's been through a lot of things in life."

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IOWA TAKES THE LEAD LATE! pic.twitter.com/SkTT5OP2w9

— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) March 23, 2026

The first-year transfer from Robert Morris has played a crucial role for the Hawkeyes in the NCAA Tournament, despite coming off the bench. The 6-foot-10 wing has 14 points in Iowa's March Madness wins over No. 8 Clemson and Florida, despite scoring fewer than 10 points in each of his final five games entering the bracket.

He scored seven points with three rebounds in Iowa's win over Nebraska during the regular season, and he'll look to continue his stretch at the NCAA Tournament. Here's what to know of Folgueiras ahead of the Sweet 16 matchup:

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Alvaro Folgueiras hugs mom after Florida win

Folgueiras' mom hadn't seen him play a college game since his freshman season at Robert Morris, when he didn't have a substantial role.

He hit a game-winning 3-pointer in the first college game she had watched him play in over two years, and it led to a special moment between the duo after the game, which went viral after it was captured on the CBS broadcast.

Iowa's Alvaro Folgueiras who hit the game-winner to knock off Florida, shared a moment with his mom after the victory ❤️ pic.twitter.com/IYtDfYyUiF

— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) March 23, 2026

Folgueiras hadn't seen his mom since August, and he talked to her for a brief 20 minutes before the game in the hotel, which he said gave him a little extra motivation for the game. It definitely worked.

"She saw me with the national team this summer, but in college basketball, she came to one game when I was a freshman, and I didn't play much.

"Coming back after two years and seeing where I am right now and how much I worked to be where I am right now, for her it's a great feeling. Because she's sent a 16-year-old kid to America without knowing any English, with us only, without anything but dreams and hunger. And this one is for her and my dad. He's watching up there."

Folgueiras' heartfelt moment with his mom — after nailing the biggest shot of his life — is what March Madness is all about.

"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," Folgueiras said. "Because she's not just a fighter, she's a super special person. I'm so lucky to have her as a mom."

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How Alvaro Folgueiras honors his dad

Folgueiras points up at the sky after every 3-pointer he makes in honor of his dad, who died when he was 9 years old. He pointed at the sky after hitting his eventual game-winner against Florida, although he waited for the Gators' timeout after running back on defense.

Folgueiras expressed what his family means to him after the game, and mentioned his mom being a rock throughout his childhood without his dad.

"He left us with my mom and my brother in my house," he said. "It was kind of hard. We didn't really feel it as much because my mom always made sure that we didn't need anything, absolutely nothing. So, I cannot say that I grew up in an environment where I needed some things. No, that's not the truth.

"Sometimes I can say that because I feel his absence. I was just going in the court and playing to get away of my house to be with something else. But I can say that I had a happy childhood. Something that we all said, and everyone has these kinds of things on their life.

"It's that we are not victims. I never let things like that make me a victim. Not to me and not to my brother, not to my mom. We are like that because my mom was showing out every single day. Yeah."

Where is Alvaro Folgueiras from?

Folgueiras is from Malaga, Spain. He moved to the United States when he was 16 years old to seek out a basketball career. He attended high school at DME Academy in Daytona Beach, Florida.

Alvaro Folgueiras stats

Here are Folgueiras' year-by-year per-game averages in college:

• 2023-24 (Robert Morris): 5.3 points with 4.5 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game
• 2024-25 (Robert Morris): 14.1 points with 9.1 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game
• 2025-26 (Iowa): 8.5 points with 3.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why does Alvaro Folgueiras point to sky after 3-pointers? Iowa F honoring dad

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