Kentucky defeats Santa Clara 89-84 in overtime in NCAA Tournament first round

In a first-round game of the 2026 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, the Kentucky Wildcats rallied to defeat the Santa Clara Broncos 89-84 in overtime on March 20, 2026, at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Missouri.

With nine seconds left in regulation, Kentucky guard Otega Oweh, a senior transfer from the University of Washington, scored a layup to tie the score at 70-70. Santa Clara guard Allen Graves answered with a 3-pointer two seconds later, giving the Broncos a 73-70 lead.

Out of timeouts, Kentucky inbounded the ball to Oweh, who sprinted the floor and banked in a 3-pointer from 32 feet at the buzzer, forcing overtime at 73-73.

Oweh told CBS after the game that he aimed to get as close to the basket as possible on the inbound before launching the shot. He described it as the best game he had ever been part of.

In overtime, Kentucky pulled away for the win. Oweh finished with 35 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. He is the brother of Baltimore Ravens defensive end Odafe Oweh.

Other Kentucky contributors in double figures included guard Denzel Aberdeen with 16 points, forward Mouhamed Dioubate with 17 points and forward Brandon Garrison with 10 points. Santa Clara guard Elijah Mahi led the Broncos with 20 points.

The Wildcats, members of the Southeastern Conference, advance to the round of 32 to face the winner of the matchup between No. 2 seed Iowa State and No. 15 seed Tennessee State. The Broncos compete in the West Coast Conference.

Sources

1. University of Kentucky Athletics
   Otega Oweh profile
   Accessed October 2024
   https://ukathletics.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/otega-oweh/25185