ST. LOUIS — Otega Oweh saved Kentucky with a game-tying halfcourt shot off the glass to force overtime and the Wildcats owned the extra session, escaping Santa Clara in the NCAA Tournament first round, 89-84, on Friday afternoon.
“I’ve been blessed to see Otega do this over and over and over again,” Kentucky coach Mark Pope said.
Santa Clara forward Allen Graves hit what looked to be a game-winning 3 with two seconds left, connecting from the right wing, but Oweh sent the game to overtime as the buzzer sounded and made all four of his free-throw attempts in the extra session, when Kentucky outscored Santa Clara 16-11.
“It was a really euphoric high,” Santa Clara coach Herb Sendek said. “Followed by a tough pill to swallow.”
Sendek left little doubt he felt officials ignored his plea for a timeout before the ball was inbounded to Oweh.
“I unequivocally called a timeout. It wasn’t granted,” Sendek said. “I think video evidence is pretty clear and supports that.”
Pope credited Kentucky for practicing a “next play” mentality as Graves’ 3 went through the basket.
Oweh finished with a career-high 35 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. Kentucky (22-13), the No. 7 seed in the Midwest Region, shot 50.8%.
The rollercoaster game featured 20 lead changes and was tied 12 times.
“Him coming down hitting the halfcourt buzzer beater, it hurt in the moment,” Graves said. “But we knew we had overtime to play. So I just tried to get everybody ready.”
The Wildcats move on to face second-seeded Iowa State on Sunday. The Cyclones trounced 15th-seeded Tennessee State 108-74 on Friday.
No. 10 seed Santa Clara (26-9) was back in the tournament for the first time in 30 years. It led by two in overtime when Sash Gavalyugov connected for a 3 on the right wing. The Wildcats tied it on Mouhamed Dioubate’s second easy bucket of overtime and reclaimed the lead (81-79) with 1:12 on the clock on Oweh’s two free throws.
Kentucky’s Brandon Garrison blocked Gavalyugov’s 3-point tries on consecutive possessions, one he proceeded to finish himself on an outlet from Oweh and the other resulting in Dioubate’s free throws and an 85-79 lead.
The Broncos got a 3 from Jake Ensminger on a frenetic possession to cut the deficit to 85-82 with 19.2 seconds on the clock.
Oweh got Kentucky on the board first in overtime three offensive rebounds extended the continuous possession by the Wildcats. Elijah Mahi, who led the Broncos with 20 points, splashed an open 3 from the left wing to answer, but Kentucky got the lead back 10 seconds later on Dioubate’s uncontested layup.
Dioubate had 17 points and eight rebounds for Kentucky. Graves finished with 17 points — 15 after halftime — and seven rebounds.
Late in the second half, Graves spun around Dioubate and his shot attempt was counted on a goaltending call to put Santa Clara in front 68-67 with 2:19 to play. Oweh tied it with the second of two free throws.
With 25 seconds left, Kentucky was awarded a timeout during a scramble for possession in the middle of the lane. The official behind the play blew his whistle as the ball squirted toward the scorer’s table. Santa Clara coach Herb Sendek argued a jump ball should have been called, which would have given the ball back to the Broncos on the possession arrow.
Santa Clara went away from a bleed-the-clock approach in the second half and found consistent openings with pick-and-roll action as Kentucky switched guards onto 7-foot-1 Bukky Oboye and 6-9 Ensminger.
The Broncos worked the ball inside-out for open looks to fight off the more aggressive Wildcats, who found consecutive transition 3s from Collin Chandler and Denzel Aberdeen to take a 44-40 lead at the 16:31 mark.
The game was tied 59-59 when Oweh came up with a loose ball and knifed through a foul to finish at the rim. The ensuing free throw gave Kentucky a one-point lead.
Oweh kept his foot on the gas with 6:14 remaining and helped Kentucky reclaim the lead, 63-62. He rebounded his own missed free throw and found Kam Williams all alone for a 3 for the 14th lead change of the game.
–Jeff Reynolds, Field Level Media
