ESPN Analytics says Kentucky had a 2.4% chance to beat Santa Clara before Otega Oweh shot
By David Wasson
Published:
So you’re saying there’s a chance?
Not much of one, in Kentucky’s case, with 2.4 seconds remaining against Santa Clara in Friday’s NCAA Tournament Midwest Region first-round matchup. To be precise, a 2.4% chance for the Wildcats to tie the game, force overtime and then win.
But that’s exactly what Kentucky did – as Otega Oweh buried a 40-foot, banked-in 3 to tie it at the buzzer before the seventh-seeded Wildcats pulled away in overtime to escape 10th-seeded Santa Clara 89-84 in St. Louis.
Oweh’s last-second 3 capped a thrilling final 30 seconds that saw Kentucky and Santa Clara combine for eight points. Oweh finished with 35 points, eight rebounds and seven assists to become the first Wildcats player in NCAA Tournament history to go for at least 30 points, five rebounds and five assists.
The Wildcats dominated in overtime on both ends of the floor to escape with the victory and set up a second-round matchup Sunday against either second-seeded Iowa State – which could be without standout Joshua Jefferson – or 15th-seeded Tennessee State.
Kentucky, an eight-time NCAA Tournament champion, is making its record 64th NCAA Tournament appearance and will be playing its record 185th March Madness game.
An APSE national award-winning writer and editor, David Wasson has almost four decades of experience in the print journalism business in Florida and Alabama. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and several national magazines and websites. His Twitter handle: @JustDWasson.
