Oweh buzzer-beater saves Wildcats, survive OT with Santa Clara 89-84

Santa Clara thought it had knocked Kentucky out of the NCAA Tournament when freshman Allen Graves answered a tying basket by Wildcats star Otega Oweh with a 3-pointer in front of his own bench with 2.4 seconds left in regulation.

The problem for the Broncos: There were still 2.4 seconds left in regulation.

As coach Herb Sendek tried to call timeout, Kentucky quickly got the ball into the hands of Oweh, who raced across the midcourt line and heaved up a 3-pointer, which banked through the bucket to tie the game at 73-all. The buzzer sounded when the ball was in midair.

The kind of shot that puts the madness into March Madness didn’t exactly end Santa Clara’s postseason hopes — that didn’t come until Kentucky scored eight consecutive points in OT to pull away. But the sequence of shots in those wild last few seconds of regulation will be remembered much longer than the 89-84 final score Friday, which sent the No. 7 seed Wildcats into a matchup with No. 2 seed Iowa State.

The No. 10 seed Broncos certainly gave everything they had — everything built up over the 30 years since Steve Nash last led them to the NCAA Tournament — in trying to knock off one of college basketball’s bluebloods inside the packed Enterprise Center.

The game was tied 12 times. The lead changed hands 20 times. Santa Clara led by two at halftime as the West Coast Tournament runner-up went toe-to-toe with Kentucky, which was making its record-extending 63rd NCAA Tournament appearance. 

Santa Clara recovered to lead twice early in overtime. But Oweh’s foul shots with just over a minute left in the extra session gave the Wildcats an 81-79 lead, and Brandon Garrison provided a pair of crucial blocks from there, keeping Gavalyugov and the rest of the Broncos from getting off the 3-point looks it needed to avoid going home.

“We worked day-in and day-out in practice. We competed every day. I’m glad we got what we deserved, getting to come here and play in March Madness,” Graves said. “I wouldn’t change it for the world. I’m just happy to be here and get to do it with these guys.”


(AP Photo Jeff Roberson)