Otega Oweh made NCAA Tournament history with huge performance vs. Santa Clara

Otega Oweh‘s stat line from Friday’s win has him in the same company as three Hall of Famers.

Oweh produced one of the most impressive performances in Kentucky’s long NCAA Tournament history during the Wildcats’ 89-84 overtime win over Santa Clara. The senior guard posted a career-high 35 points, eight rebounds, seven assists, one steal, and one block in 43 minutes of action. He becomes just the fourth player ever to record at least 35 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists in an NCAA Tournament game.

The other three? Cincinnati’s Oscar Robertson (1959), Princeton’s Bill Bradley (1965), and Indiana State’s Larry Bird (1979) — some of the best to ever pick up a basketball. And oh yeah, Oweh nailed a deep buzzer-beating three-pointer that sent the game into overtime.

“Nah, I’m not gonna lie. That was probably the best one yet,” Oweh said postgame when CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein asked if that was the best game he’s ever been a part of. “That’s what March is, though. All the best games happen at this time of the year and it was a blast. I’m just glad we got to pull it out.”

"I don't know, it just went in. It's March Madness — that's the type of vibe it is, I ain't gonna lie."

– Otega Oweh to @jonrothstein after his EPIC buzzer-beater pic.twitter.com/W0ssaiRwCO

— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) March 20, 2026

After Santa Clara’s Allen Graves made a three-pointer with a few seconds left in regulation, all hope seemed to vanish for the Wildcats. Oweh had just a little over two seconds to make something happen. The ball left his fingertips with barely any room for delay. It banked right in. Kentucky won the overtime period 16-11 to survive and advance.

“I was trying to get as close as possible to make the shot,” Oweh said. “I don’t know, it just went in. It’s March Madness. That’s the type of vibe it is.”

Oweh made some Kentucky history along the way, too. With his 35 points against the Broncos, he’s now up to 1,237 points during his two-year career as a Wildcat. That’s the most ever by a UK player who only played two seasons for the blue and white. He now ranks among the top 40 all-time in scoring in program history. And thanks to his heroics, there’s still room to move up that list on Sunday.

“We don’t wanna go home,” Oweh added. “We ready. We’re trying to keep on going. We got a run we trying to make. That’s what had to happen for us to keep on going.”