Oweh's Kentucky miracle
Otega Oweh banked a 32‑foot three to force overtime and finished with a ridiculous 35 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists as Kentucky beat Santa Clara 89–84 — a stat line media compared to Larry Bird’s tournament feats (x.com) (Eye On College Basketball Podcast, March 21–22, 2026). The game also featured a blown timeout call controversy — Santa Clara’s coach reportedly signaled a timeout that officials ignored in the final seconds (Eye On College Basketball Podcast, March 21–22, 2026).
Oweh logged 43 minutes, shot 11-for-24 from the field and went 10-for-12 from the free-throw line while committing two turnovers in the win. The final-regulation sequence started after Allen Graves’ go-ahead 3 with 2.4 seconds on the clock; Kentucky inbounded, Oweh received the pass and launched from just left of the midcourt logo as the horn sounded. Santa Clara head coach Herb Sendek said he “unequivocally” signaled for a timeout before that final possession and publicly criticized officials when the timeout was not granted. Multiple outlets and social feeds flagged the missed timeout and a separate clock/operator delay as pivotal moments in the closing seconds of regulation. Brandon Garrison finished with 10 points, seven rebounds and six blocked shots and recorded two critical blocks on 3-point attempts in the final minute of overtime. Kentucky advances to face No. 2 seed Iowa State in the Midwest Region after Iowa State’s 108-74 win over Tennessee State in the Round of 64. Following the game, Oweh agreed to an NIL partnership with Buffalo Wild Wings tied to his late-game heroics, according to the report.
