In a thrilling first-round NCAA Tournament clash, Kentucky's Otega Oweh delivered a stunning buzzer-beater to push the Wildcats past Herb Sendek’s Santa Clara Broncos. The game was a rollercoaster of emotions, capped by a controversial moment that left fans buzzing.
With just nine seconds on the clock, Oweh's layup brought Kentucky level at 70-70. But Santa Clara's Allen Graves answered with a clutch three-pointer, giving the Broncos a 73-70 edge with only two ticks remaining. This is where the drama unfolded.
Santa Clara's head coach, Herb Sendek, attempted to call a timeout immediately after Graves’ shot. However, with the referees' attention elsewhere, the request went unnoticed. Oweh seized the opportunity, racing up the court and launching a miraculous three-pointer as time expired, sending the game into overtime.
Once in OT, Kentucky took control, outscoring Santa Clara 16-11 to secure an 89-84 victory.
The lingering question is whether Sendek's timeout call was missed by the officials. Sendek insists he called it in time, a claim he stands by with conviction.
“Yeah. Well, I unequivocally called timeout,” Sendek stated. “But they didn’t grant it.”
He pointed to video evidence as proof, suggesting it clearly shows his attempt to pause the game. “I mean, I think the video evidence is clear.
And anybody is able to pull it up,” Sendek remarked. “After Allen hits the three, it’s a natural response to call a timeout to set the defense, which I tried to do.”
Indeed, the footage shows Sendek signaling for a timeout, but by then, Kentucky had already taken possession. Whether the timeout was timely remains a topic for debate, leaving fans and analysts alike to draw their own conclusions.