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Otega Oweh on buzzer-beater vs Santa Clara: 'It's March Madness, that's the type of vibe'
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- Otega Oweh on buzzer-beater vs Santa Clara: 'It's March Madness, that's the type of vibe'
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Kentucky guard Otega Oweh said the Wildcats' first-round NCAA Tournament game against No. 10 seed Santa Clara wasn't over quite yet, saving their season in the process.
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Santa Clara's Allen Graves gave the Broncos a 73-70 lead with 2.4 seconds left, which looked like enough to seal the win. However, Oweh received the ensuing inbounds pass and ran up to the March Madness logo, rising for a deep 3-pointer that clanked off the backboard through the net to tie the game at 73-73 to send the game to overtime.
Otega Oweh saved UK's season Friday: He might have done more than that
Oweh, the SEC Player of the Year last season, saved his career-best performance for the perfect time against Santa Clara. The senior guard scored a career-high 35 points in the 89-84 overtime win , while racking up eight rebounds and seven assists with a block and a steal. It was an historic performance, as Oweh is only the second player since Larry Bird in 1979 to record at least 35 points, eight rebounds and seven assists in an NCAA Tournament game, according to CBS Sports Research.
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"I was trying to get as close as possible to make the shot," Oweh said on the CBS postgame broadcast. "I don't know, it just went in. It's March Madness, that's the type of vibe it is, I ain't even gonna lie."
Santa Clara coach Herb Sendek was shown on the broadcast attempting to call a timeout after Graves' 3-pointer, which would've given the Broncos a chance to set up for the final inbounds play. However, Oweh was able to get momentum down the floor after catching the pass, which ultimately led to Kentucky's win.
Santa Clara's 3-point shooting kept it in the game, as the Broncos made 11 3-pointers to overcome its size disadvantage against Kentucky. Elijah Mahi led the way for the Broncos, scoring 20 points with five rebounds.
But it was Oweh again in overtime who sealed the win for Kentucky, with four crucial points and another assist in the extra period.
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Kentucky now looks forward to its second-round matchup against the winner of No. 2 seed Iowa State and No. 15 East Tennessee State, and hopes to reach the Sweet 16 for the second consecutive season.
The Wildcats will certainly have a chance to do so, especially if Oweh shows up like he did against Santa Clara.
"That's what March is though," Oweh said. "All the best games happen at this time of the year. It was a blast, I was just glad we got to pull it out."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What Otega Oweh said about buzzer-beater that saved Kentucky vs Santa Clara
