In one of the final games of the first week of the 2026 NCAA Tournament, some sparks flew — and, by the looks of it, a balled-up fist.

With about nine minutes remaining in the first half of No. 9 seed Iowa’s game against No. 1 seed and reigning national champion Florida, Hawkeyes forward Alvaro Folgueiras collected a rebound off an Alex Condon miss, but Condon reached in, leading to a tie-up.

Shortly after a referee blew the whistle, signaling a held ball and the end of the play, Condon continued to pull at the ball and dragged Folgueiras to the court.

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After the play, Iowa and Florida players rushed to the scene, with the two sides eventually separated. A replay on the TBS broadcast showed Folgueiras balling up his fist and throwing it in Condon’s direction, though it appeared that it was Folgueiras’ forearm, not his fist, that made contact with Condon’s chest, with the motion of his arm going in the direction of the tie ball.

Tensions are high in Tampa.

Iowa & Florida had to be separated after this play. pic.twitter.com/KVgBT9Bs3M

— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) March 22, 2026

The TBS announcers working the game initially speculated that Folgueiras, a Robert Morris transfer in his first season at Iowa, might receive a flagrant-2 foul and an automatic ejection, but upon video review, referees determined that it was a double technical foul.

Florida coach Todd Golden was incensed at the call, arguing with the officials after it was made. Following the altercation between Folgueiras and Condon, Golden was also seen shouting in the direction of the Iowa bench and first-year Hawkeyes coach Ben McCollum.

Florida head coach Todd Golden just unleashed on the Iowa bench and Ben McCollum was not having it pic.twitter.com/UymMOz6mds

— Sean Bock (@SBock247) March 22, 2026

"I don't know, they were just going for the ball, and then everybody got all sensitive," McCollum said to TBS in a sideline interview at the next timeout. "Their people got sensitive. It's like, you're trying to play ball. It's whatever. We'll compete. We'll fight. We'll see what happens."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Iowa's Alvaro Folgueiras, Florida's Alex Condon get in tussle in March Madness game