Kentucky saved from $22 million March Madness disaster by Otega Oweh’s heroics

Kentucky and Santa Clara treated fans to a March Madness classic in the first round of the 2026 men’s NCAA tournament in the first game of the Friday morning window. The No. 11 seed Broncos had UK on the ropes for most of the afternoon, but the Wildcats never backed down. The final 15 seconds of regulation were absolutely wild, and it ended with a miracle shot that saved Kentucky from a massive embarrassment.

Kentucky beat Santa Clara, 89-84, in overtime after a fantastic finish to regulation that featured multiple heroic shots. The Wildcats reportedly spent $22 million in NIL money on their roster, and their season should have ended with a first-round loss in the NCAA tournament. Instead, senior guard Otega Oweh saved the day for Kentucky with a signature March Madness moment that will be remembered for a long time in Lexington.

This is everything you want from March Madness, and it ends with heartbreak for the underdog Broncos, and jubilation for mighty Kentucky. Watch the final three possessions here.

Oweh tied the score for Kentucky with 10 seconds left on a beautiful spin and finish inside the paint. Santa Clara pushed the ball down the court, ran a pick-and-pop for freshman star Allen Graves, and he nailed a catch-and-shoot three that swished through the net with 2.5 seconds left. Kentucky inbounded to Oweh, and his heave a step inside the halfcourt line banked off the glass and dropped in to send the game to overtime.

Kentucky dominated OT, and advanced to face the winner of No. 2 Iowa State vs. No. 15 Tennessee State.

The best part of this ending? No timeouts, creating thrilling end-to-end action defined by clutch shot-making. Maybe it shouldn’t have been that way, though: Santa Clara head coach Herb Sendek — the guy who once coached a young James Harden at Arizona State — was clearly trying to call timeout after Graves’ shot went through. Sendek likely would have had his team foul up three with Kentucky going the full length of the floor. Instead, the refs didn’t see it, and Oweh delivered an instant classic shot that keeps Kentucky dancing.

Oweh played an amazing game, finishing with 35 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists on 11-of-24 shooting from the field. I ranked Oweh as the No. 35 overall player in March Madness entering the tournament. Maybe he should have been higher.

Kentucky has had a lot of heartbreak in March in recent years. In 2022, it lost in the first round as a No. 2 seed to No. 15 seed Saint Peter’s. In 2024, it lost as a No. 3 seed to No. 14 seed Oakland in a game that essentially cost John Calipari his job. Second-year head coach Mark Pope didn’t want to be defined by the same March failings, and Oweh’s shot gave him salvation.

Kentucky was a big spender throughout last year’s college basketball offseason, and the reports on their budget kept getting higher and higher. The Wildcats’ biggest addition, sophomore center Jayden Quaintance, barely even played this season coming off a torn ACL suffered at Arizona State. They nabbed Denzel Aberdeen from reigning champion Florida, Mouhamed Dioubate from Alabama, Jaland Lowe from Pitt (another player whose season was wiped away by injury), Kam Williams from Tulane. The Wildcats were supposed to be a national championship contender entering the season, but never looked like it. Still, advancing in March is its own thrill, and now they still have a chance to save a disappointing year.

This is why we love March. What a shot for Kentucky. What a bummer for Santa Clara.