The Kentucky-Santa Clara NCAA Tournament game was absolute cinema on Friday.
It looked like Santa Clara was going to win the game in regulation after Allen Graves hit a three-pointer with 2.4 seconds left, but Kentucky's Otega Oweh had other ideas. He hit a game-tying three-pointer as time expired from well beyond the arc to send the game to overtime.
It's the shot of the 2026 NCAA Tournament so far, and we're still only in the first round.
However, before the shot was taken, Santa Clara head coach Herb Sendek was trying to call a timeout. He wanted a timeout right after Graves made his three-pointer.
After the game, Sendek told the media that he did call a timeout, but the refs didn't give him one.
"I unequivocally called timeout. But they didn't grant it," Sendek said. "I mean, I think the video evidence is clear."
After the buzzer beater from Oweh, Santa Clara had chances to win in overtime, but it wasn't meant to be. Kentucky outscored Santa Clara 16-11 in overtime to win by five, 89-84.
Oweh led all scorers with 35 points and also finished with eight rebounds and seven assists.
Graves finished with 17 points and was Santa Clara's second-leading scorer in the game. Elijah Mahi led all Santa Clara players with 20 points.
Kentucky will now play Iowa State in the second round on Sunday with a chance to advance to the Sweet 16. If Kentucky wins, it would play the winner of the Tennessee-Virginia game.
