Kentucky survives late
Kentucky escaped Santa Clara in overtime thanks to Otega Oweh’s 35‑point outburst and a buzzer‑banked three that forced OT — a narrow escape that kept them alive after a wild first round. (usatoday.com) (espn.com)
No. 7 Kentucky (22-13) beat No. 10 Santa Clara (26-9) 89-84 at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis in the Midwest Region first round. (santaclarabroncos.com) Kentucky shot 32-of-63 (50.8%) from the field and 10-of-28 (35.7%) from three, outscoring Santa Clara 44-32 in the paint and totaling 18 fast-break points. (santaclarabroncos.com) Supporting scorers included Mouhamed Dioubate with 17 points and Denzel Aberdeen with 16 points, while Santa Clara’s Elijah Mahi finished with 20 points for the Broncos. (santaclarabroncos.com) Brandon Garrison swatted six shots as Kentucky posted 11 team blocks to Santa Clara’s two, and Kentucky’s bench supplied 30 points versus Santa Clara’s 33. (santaclarabroncos.com) Kentucky committed 11 turnovers and recorded 19 assists; Santa Clara finished with seven turnovers and 17 assists in the 89-84 final. (santaclarabroncos.com) The Wildcats draw No. 2 seed Iowa State in the Round of 32 on Sunday, March 22 at 2:45 p.m. ET at the Enterprise Center, with the game scheduled for CBS. (ncaa.com) Iowa State All-American Joshua Jefferson suffered a left-ankle sprain early in ISU’s 108-74 first-round win; X-rays were negative but the forward is considered doubtful for the Cyclones’ next game. (espn.com)
