(BCSNN) — Iowa returned to the NCAA Tournament win column for the first time in five years, controlling most of the night and fending off multiple Clemson rallies to secure a 67–61 first‑round victory Friday. The eighth‑seeded Hawkeyes (22–12) led nearly wire to wire and advanced to Sunday’s second round, where they are expected to face No. 1 seed Florida.

Iowa opened the game with confidence, jumping out to 12–4 and 18–6 leads before Clemson trimmed the margin late in the half. A Tigers three‑pointer in the final minute cut the Hawkeye advantage to 32–25 at the break.

Bennett Stirtz set the tone immediately in the second half, drilling a three from the top of the key. Clemson responded with its strongest push of the night, pulling within 35–33 in the opening six minutes, but Stirtz answered again with another triple to ignite a 9–0 run that restored an 11‑point cushion.

Clemson continued to chip away, cutting the deficit to 56–51 with 5:12 remaining and later to 61–57 with 1:28 left. Iowa closed the door with two decisive plays: a strong dribble‑drive layup from Kael Combs and two clutch free throws from Alvaro Folgueiras with 19 seconds remaining.

Stirtz led Iowa with 16 points, while Combs added 15 and Folgueiras scored 14. The Hawkeyes struggled from deep (7‑for‑25), but dominated the glass, outrebounding Clemson 40–27. Cam Manyawu scored just one point but grabbed a game‑high 10 rebounds.

Clemson (24–11) was led by RJ Godfrey’s 15 points, while Butta Johnson added 11.

Iowa advances to face top‑seeded Florida on Sunday. Game time will be announced later Friday night.