Kentucky's Oweh Heroics Force OT Win

0:00On March 20, Kentucky pulled off a thrilling first-round win in the NCAA tournament, beating Santa Clara 89-84 in overtime. With just 2.4 seconds left in regulation, Santa Clara hit a go-ahead 3-pointer, but Otega O.A. responded with a 50-foot bank shot at. The buzzer to force the extra period. O.A. dominated down the stretch, scoring the final 10 points of regulation and the opening points of overtime. He finished with 35 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists, becoming just the fourth player ever in tournament history to pose those. Numbers in a game. The Wildcats showed real grit, with no time wasted on frustration at the Santa Clara's late bucket. Coach Mark Pope highlighted how O.A. raced down court and delivered right in front of him. For a team that had faced plenty of setbacks, this felt like pure redemption. Kentucky had a rough start to the season, dealing with injuries to key players like Jalen Lowe and Jaden Quaintons, plus O.A. struggling to hit. 20 points early on,

1:02but they turned it around in conference play, going 10-8 in the SEC. Now the number 7 seed advances to face number 2 Iowa State on Sunday, with a sweet 16 spot on the line. O.A.'s hot streak suggests Kentucky could keep riding magic in March.