University of Kentucky defeated Santa Clara University 89-84 in overtime on March 20, 2026, in a first-round game of the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Missouri.[1][2]
Kentucky guard Otega Oweh tied the score at 70-70 with a layup with nine seconds left in regulation. Santa Clara guard Allen Graves responded with a 3-pointer with two seconds remaining to give the Broncos a 73-70 lead.[1]
With no timeouts remaining, Kentucky inbounded to Oweh, who sprinted the length of the floor and banked in a 3-pointer from 32 feet as time expired, forcing overtime at 73-73.[1][2]
Kentucky then prevailed in the extra period to advance to the second round.[1]
Oweh finished with 35 points, eight rebounds and seven assists for the Wildcats. Teammates Denzel Aberdeen added 16 points, Mouhamed Dioubate 17 points and Brandon Garrison 10 points. Elijah Mahi led Santa Clara with 20 points.[1]
Oweh, a sophomore guard who transferred to Kentucky from Oklahoma, is the brother of Baltimore Ravens defensive end Odafe Oweh.[1][3][4]
After the game, Oweh described it to CBS as the best game he had been part of and said he aimed to get close to the basket on the final inbound before launching the shot.[1]
Kentucky advanced to face the winner of second-seed Iowa State against 15th-seed Tennessee State in the round of 32.[1]
The Enterprise Center is an 18,000-capacity arena in downtown St. Louis that has hosted NCAA tournament games in the past.[5]
The Wildcats compete in the Southeastern Conference, while the Broncos play in the West Coast Conference.[4][6]
Sources
- Fox News Digital
Kentucky snagged victory from the jaws of defeat in its 89-84 overtime win against Santa Clara
March 21, 2026
https://www.foxnews.com/sports - Associated Press
NCAA Tournament first round: Kentucky vs. Santa Clara images
March 20, 2026
https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-march-madness - ESPN
Odafe Oweh player profile
Accessed October 2024
https://www.espn.com/nfl/player/_/id/4374301/odafe-oweh - University of Kentucky Athletics
2024-25 Men's Basketball Roster
Accessed October 2024
https://ukathletics.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster - Enterprise Center
About the Venue
Accessed October 2024
https://www.enterprisecenter.com/about - Santa Clara University Athletics
Men's Basketball
Accessed October 2024
https://santaclarabroncos.com/sports/mens-basketball
