The first round of the 2026 men’s NCAA tournament continues on Friday — and we’re tracking how every game was decided.
As every winner’s second-round matchup is set, ESPN’s reporters will also break down each team’s keys to advancing to the Sweet 16.
Go to: Live tracker
How Kentucky won: Add what Otega Oweh did to the list of great performances in Kentucky’s tournament history. Oweh scored a career-high 35 points in a thrilling 89-84 victory over Santa Clara to send the 7-seed Wildcats to the next round. Oweh’s midcourt prayer that banked through the net at the buzzer sent the game into overtime and helped the Wildcats avoid the upset. Oweh fueled Kentucky’s offense and held off a balanced Santa Clara attack that was led by Elijah Mahi and Allen Graves. Graves thought he had the game-winner with two seconds left. But Oweh made sure he and the Wildcats had the final word. — Ben Baby
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