ESPN analyst shares biggest takeaway from Kentucky’s dramatic win over Santa Clara
By Rolando Rosa
Published:
It was a wild win for the Wildcats in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday as Kentucky defeated Santa Clara 89-84 in overtime.
Otega Oweh sent the game into overtime with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer right across the half-court line. That magical moment was in response to a 3-pointer by Santa Clara’s Allen Graves with 2.4 remaining in regulation.
Oweh then drained the tiebreaking free throws in overtime to lift Kentucky to a Round of 32 matchup vs. Iowa State on Sunday. Overall, Oweh notched a career-high 35 points in the dramatic victory.
ESPN analyst Ben Baby shared his biggest takeaway from the first round game.
Oweh’s midcourt prayer that banked through the net at the buzzer sent the game into overtime and helped the Wildcats avoid the upset. Oweh fueled Kentucky’s offense and held off a balanced Santa Clara attack that was led by Elijah Mahi and Allen Graves. Graves thought he had the game winner with two seconds left. But Oweh made sure he and the Wildcats had the last word.
Meanwhile, ESPN’s Jeff Borzello explains what it’ll take for No. 7 seed Kentucky to knock off No. 2 seed Iowa State. The Cyclones routed Tennessee State 108-74 in the first round. Borzello cites limiting turnovers as a key factor because of Iowa State’s pesky defense. Also, he believes Kentucky has to get hot from beyond the arc:
They will also need to make shots from the perimeter — they shoot better than 37% from 3 in wins compared to just 29% in losses. Iowa State can guard the 3, but Kentucky’s trio of Otega Oweh, Denzel Aberdeen and Collin Chandler have to get going.
Kentucky is aiming to reach the Sweet 16 in back-to-back seasons under Mark Pope, who took over from John Calipari in 2024.
