Otega Oweh's miracle shot is an all-time great NCAA Tournament moment
The Kentucky Wildcats basketball team beat Santa Clara in round one of the NCAA Tournament, and was highlighted by Otega Oweh's miracle heave.
The Kentucky Wildcats got an NCAA Tournament opening round win over Santa Clara on Friday, but it wasn't the win itself that had people talking. Otega Oweh had the best game of his career, pouring in 35 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists, but when his name came up, those weren't the focus. Round one was filled with exciting games, and more than one memorable moment.
However, it was the Wildcats win over the Broncos that will be remembered for creating an all-time great one, when Oweh saved Kentucky's season with a half-court miracle. CLUTCH 📺 CBS pic. twitter.
com/qMnAp6AA2Z — Kentucky Men’s Basketball (@KentuckyMBB) March 20, 2026 Social media immediately exploded with talk about the sequence of events. Seemingly everyone had a comment, and no exclamation went unused. The clip was shared too many times to count, with the understanding that something special had just happened.
Later on in the day, more context was added. The clip was played with coach Mark Pope's reaction to both shots. Mark Pope's reaction to Otega Oweh's sensational game-tying shot 🤯 @KentuckyMBB pic.