Otega Oweh's buzzer-beater saves Kentucky in 89-94 overtime win over Santa Clara in March Madness

Otega Oweh rescued Kentucky with a buzzer-beater from just inside half court to force overtime, then hit the tiebreaking free throws in the extra period as the seventh-seeded Wildcats beat No. 10 seed Santa Clara 89-84 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament

March 20, 2026Updated: March 20, 2026
AP nullBy JEFF LATZKE

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Otega Oweh from just inside half court to force overtime, then hit the tiebreaking free throws in the extra period as the seventh-seeded Wildcats beat No. 10 seed Santa Clara 89-84 on Friday in the first round of the

In an electrifying finish to regulation that defines the words “March Madness,” Santa Clara's Allen Graves drained a 3 from the right wing with 2.4 seconds left to put the Broncos ahead 73-70. Oweh received the inbound pass, pushed the ball up the court and pulled up to the left of the midcourt logo to launch his desperation heave. The ball was midair when the buzzer sounded, and it banked in for the tie.

Oweh scored a career-high 35 points and had eight rebounds and seven assists for the Wildcats (22-13), who will face either No. 2 seed Iowa State or 15th-seeded Tennessee State in the second round in the Midwest Region.

___

AP March Madness bracket: and coverage: