Kentucky’s Mark Pope drops candid confession on competitive Santa Clara win appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Kentucky basketball found themselves in a battle against Santa Clara during the first round of the NCAA tournament, and it took overtime for them to walk away with the win.
With the game tied at 70, Santa Clara’s Allen Garves hit a three-pointer to give his team the lead with two seconds left. In typical March Madness fashion, Otega Oweh came down the court and hit a deep three-pointer to tie the game at the buzzer, sending the game into overtime.
Kentucky was able to make more plays in overtime, and after the game, head coach Mark Popehad a confession about the win.
“Stopped right in front of me and as he raised up, he said, ‘That’s a bucket.’ Then threw it in off the glass,” Pope said. That next play mentality, I think that’s something that you talk about all the time, but you learn through experience, and our guys have a whole bunch of it,” Pope said.
Kentucky HC Mark Pope reacts to his team’s overtime win over Santa Clara in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. @KentuckyMBBpic.twitter.com/uYs0NKjUlH
— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) March 20, 2026
Oweh led Kentucky with a career-high 35 points, eight rebounds and seven assists, and he became the first player with that stat line since Bird in 1979.
Kentucky will now advance to the next round and will face the winner of Tennessee State and Iowa State. Though Kentucky made it to the Sweet Sixteen last year, they have not advanced past the opening weekend in either of the previous four seasons. With the magic they were able to pull off in this one, the hope is that they can continue their strong play throughout the tournament.
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