Kentucky's Otega Oweh Called Dramatic March Madness Buzzer-Beater, Mark Pope Says in Video

Kentucky men's basketball coach Mark Pope says Otega Oweh called the three-pointer that sent Friday's first-round game against Santa Clara to overtime before it hit the basket.

"Otega raced down the floor, and stopped right in front of me, and as he raised up, he said, 'That's a bucket,'" Pope said after Kentucky's 89-84 overtime win. "And then threw it in off the glass."

Santa Clara's Allen Graves had just hit a triple to put the Broncos up by three with 2.4 seconds left in regulation when Oweh raced back down the court and put up his shot from the logo.

Oweh told CBS Sports his focus in those final 2.4 seconds of regulation had been getting "as close as possible to make the shot."

"I don't know, it just went in," Oweh said. "That's the type of vibe it is."

Oweh continued, "We don't want to go home. We're ready. We try and keep on going, we've got a run we're trying to make, and that's what had to happen. Blessed to keep on going."

In overtime, Oweh put Kentucky in front with a pair of free throws with just over a minute left in overtime. The Wildcats held onto the advantage for the last 1:12 of play to close out the win.

The game might have ended in regulation had officials recognized an apparent effort by Santa Clara coach Herb Sendek to call a timeout after Graves' late three-pointer.

"I unequivocally called timeout. They didn't grant it," Sendek said after Hofstra's loss. "I think the video evidence is clear, and anybody's able to pull it up. Which is a likely response, after Allen hits the three, that the coach would be calling timeout to set the defense.

"Which I tried to do, and I was successful in doing, other than it wasn't acknowledged or recognized."

Hofstra's first NCAA Tournament bid since 2001 will now end with a first-round exit, while Kentucky will advance to face Iowa State in the Round of 32.