5 things you need to know from UK’s 89-84 win vs Santa Clara in the NCAA tourney
Five things you need to know from No. 7 seed Kentucky’s 89-84 overtime win vs. No. 10 seed Santa Clara in the NCAA Tournament Midwest Region round of 64:
1. Cats win a mini-classic. When Santa Clara’s Allen Graves drained a 3-pointer with 2.4 seconds left in regulation to put the Broncos ahead of Kentucky 73-70, it appeared UK was headed for yet another round of 64 heartbreaker.
Instead, Otega Oweh was set up for the signature moment of his distinguished UK career.
Oweh banked in a 40-footer just ahead of the final buzzer to tie the game at 73.
In the overtime, Oweh, with major contributions from Brandon Garrison and Mo Dioubate, carried UK to an 89-84 win.
This game will live in UK men’s basketball history as “the Otega Oweh game.”
In addition to the shot that extened the Kentucky season, Oweh finished with a career-high 35 points and also had eight rebounds and seven assists.
During what has been an up-and-down, frustrating UK season, this was a electrifying moment that will give Kentucky backers something memorable to hold onto from this year.
2. Kentucky’s “block party.” In 32 minutes of game action, Mo Dioubate gave UK 17 points, eight rebounds and three blocked shots.
Brandon Garrison contributed 10 points, seven rebounds and six blocks in 25 minutes prior to fouling out.
In the overtime, Garrison blocked three shots, including two Santa Clara 3-point tries.
Even with Oweh’s heroics, Kentucky would not have won without Dioubate and Garrison.
3. UK’s first-round mojo. With its win over Santa Clara, Kentucky has now won 28 of its last 31 NCAA Tournament first round games.
Kentucky’s only first-round defeats since 1987 were in the 2008 NCAA tourney, 74-66 to Marquette; in the 2022 renewal of March Madness, 85-79 in overtime to Saint Peter’s; and in the 2024 tournament, 80-76 to Oakland.
4. Kentucky’s first-half blues. Kentucky trailed Santa Clara 31-29 at halftime.
In its 28 games this season vs. power conference foes, Gonzaga and in the NCAA Tournament, UK has trailed at the intermission 17 times.
5. The Oweh watch. Oweh’s 35 points vs. Santa Clara give him 1,237 for his two-year UK career.
Oweh passed Bill Spivey (1,213 career points) as the top-scoring player in Cats men’s hoops history who only played two varsity seasons.
On the overall UK scoring list, Oweh moved past Rodrick Rhodes (1,209 career points), Chuck Hayes (1,211), Spivey (1,213), Derrick Hord (1,220), and Deron Feldhaus (1,232) into 37th.
Immediately ahead of Oweh among UK’s all-time scoring leaders are No. 36 Tom Parker (1,238), No. 35 Jodie Meeks (1,246) and No. 34 Darius Miller (1,248).
A paragon of consistency, Oweh has now scored in double figures in 67 of the 71 games in which he has worn UK blue and white.
This story was originally published March 20, 2026 at 2:49 PM.
