Charles Barkley called this Kentucky team "bad" on national television, and nearly one-third of the country picked Santa Clara to win this First Round matchup in St. Louis. For most of the night, the Wildcats did little to dispel that sentiment.
The two teams battled back and forth in a tense, grinding affair, finding themselves locked in a one-point game with just five minutes remaining.
Kentucky basketball's up-and-down season continues
It has been a wild ride for Mark Pope's roster this year, but when things started chipping away late in the second half, the Cats once again found a push.
Otega Oweh missed a crucial free throw but managed to rip down his own offensive rebound, kicking it out to Kam Williams for a massive three-pointer. But as Oweh gives, he also gives away. With the Cats up three and the clock ticking toward the four-minute mark, Oweh danced with the ball and pulled up for a deep, contested three—despite Kentucky having consistent success down low.
To compound the frustrating miss, Oweh and Collin Chandler could only watch each other as Santa Clara secured the rebound.
It was a microcosm of the entire season. In one sequence, you saw a flash of the team that knocked off Vanderbilt and beat Tennessee twice. In the next, you saw the team that was blown out by Gonzaga and Michigan State.
You really just never know which team is going to show up. The only consistency is inconsistency. And that showed up again in a crucial stretch.
Three minutes to save the season
Santa Clara came into this game known as an elite offensive rebounding team. With 3:47 remaining, the Broncos grabbed their eighth offensive board of the night and drew a critical foul.
As Allen Graves stepped to the free-throw line and made both. Then Oweh again pulled it from deep. It wasn't good. Then Brandon Garrison had a huge block, Kentucky's 8th, then turned it over, Kentucky's 11th.
Allen Graves converted down low and gave the Broncos a lead with 2:03 to go. Oweh went to the line with 2:03 to go; he made only one, but it was enough to tie it up.
An airball 3 and a bad blockout from Brandon Garrison allowed Allen Graves to put the Broncos up 3 with 1:25 to go. Mark Pope told his team to "go out and make a play."
Aberdeen hit the paint, found an open Oweh but his 3 was off the mark. Great defense from Kentucky, but Moreno fumbled the rebound out of bounds.
It all came down to a final possession after Kentucky grabbed a loose ball and called a timeout. Oweh hit a layup and tied it up. Allen Graves with a pick and pop 3 over Moreno seemed to have Santa Clara the game, but a half-court heave from Oweh banked in.
It was a miracle.
Overtime saw more of the same
Kentucky could not shake Santa Clara as the Broncos hit their 11th 3 of the game to take a 2-point lead with just above 2 minutes to go. But Mo Dioubate was there to tie it back up.
2 free throws from Otega Oweh put Kentucky up 2 with 60 seconds to go.
But it was Brandon Garrison who silenced the critics one more time. After a switch, he blocked a three and then leaked out for a dunk with 48.5 to go. Kentucky was up 4.
The defense locked in, and Kentucky escaped a March Madness classic, 89-84.