Indiana Pacers' lead assistant coach Lloyd Pierce almost witnessed a thrilling upset as his alma mater, the Santa Clara Broncos, kicked off the 2026 NCAA men’s basketball tournament. With the Pacers having a break, Pierce made the journey to St.
Louis to cheer on Santa Clara, where he played from 1994-98. Notably, he was part of the team alongside Hall of Famer Steve Nash during their last NCAA Tournament appearance in 1996.
Pierce's college career was solid, averaging 7.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.0 steals per game. After a stint playing overseas, he returned to Santa Clara, starting his coaching career there from 2002-07.
Fast forward 30 years, and Santa Clara found themselves back in the tournament. Pierce, a San Jose native, was right there courtside, watching the Broncos lead 73-70 with just 2.4 seconds left, thanks to a clutch shot by Allen Graves.
But Kentucky wasn’t done. The 7-seed Wildcats quickly inbounded the ball to Otega Oweh, who sprinted up the court and nailed a dramatic shot from beyond mid-court as the buzzer sounded, sending the game into overtime. Oweh had a standout performance, racking up 35 points.
Kentucky ultimately edged out Santa Clara 89-84 in a nail-biting contest that required extra time to settle. As for Pierce and the Pacers, they’re looking ahead to their remaining 12 regular-season games, with upcoming matchups against San Antonio and Orlando.