Did Herb Sendek Call Timeout?
Santa Clara men’s basketball Head Coach Herb Sendek claps after a timeout was called during the first half of Santa Clara men’s basketball’s game against Kentucky in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament on March 20, 2026 at the Enterprise Center in Saint Louis. (Nina Glick/The Santa Clara)
Santa Clara University men’s basketball lost a heartbreaker, 89-84, to the University of Kentucky in the first round of the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament.
A Cinderella team that hadn’t reached the Big Dance in 30 years entered the matchup with just a 27.8% chance to win, according to ESPN analytics. Santa Clara’s entire roster is reportedly worth a single Kentucky player. Despite the odds, the Broncos battled Kentucky in a back-and-forth game that came down to the final seconds.
Before tip-off, questions about the officiating crew had surfaced.
“Tony Padilla, Todd Austin and Steve McJunkins are the game officials for Kentucky—Santa Clara in the NCAA Tournament first round in St. Louis,” wrote Cameron Drummon on X, a sports reporter for the Lexington Herald-Leader covering the Kentucky men’s basketball team. “Of note, Austin was part of the crew that worked Kentucky at Auburn earlier this season.”
That Kentucky-Auburn matchup was itself controversial, as a late offensive foul call against Kentucky helped Auburn secure a 75-74 victory. The call drew criticism from Kentucky head coach Mark Pope, who was later fined $25,000 by the SEC for his public comments about the officiating.
From the opening minutes, many Bronco fans believed several calls favored Kentucky. Whether that perception was due to Santa Clara’s aggressive gameplay or the officiating itself quickly became a topic of debate.
Crew chief Tony Padilla has previously been involved in controversial calls. In February 2025, BYU beat Arizona following a disputed foul call made by Padilla, a longtime Big 12 and former Pac-12 official.
“Padilla, who played college baseball at Gonzaga and has been a college basketball official for 22 years, has a reputation for inserting himself in big moments instead of letting players determine the outcome—which is exactly what happened in the final minute of what had been an incredibly entertaining game,” said Sports Illustrated.
In that matchup, the primary official did not initially call a foul, but Padilla, the crew chief, signaled one from the trail position. The call awarded BYU two free throws and ultimately the win, sparking widespread criticism on social media.
Some critics have gone as far as to say he should be fired.
Similar controversy unfolded late in Santa Clara’s game.
With 28 seconds remaining, Allen Graves ’29 missed a layup. Both teams scrambled for the loose ball as Santa Clara’s Jake Ensminger ’27 and Sash Gavalyugov ’29 and Kentucky’s Otega Oweh dove to the floor.
According to NCAA Division I men’s basketball timeout rules, the team with clear possession of the ball may request a timeout. In loose-ball situations, officials must determine which team has established control before granting one.
Referee Steve McJunkins awarded Kentucky a timeout during the scramble. However, video footage made it difficult to determine whether Kentucky had established clear possession before the whistle. Under NCAA rules, that call is not reviewable, meaning the timeout could not be overturned.
The drama escalated moments later.
With just 2.4 seconds remaining in regulation, Graves drilled a go-ahead 3-pointer that gave Santa Clara the lead at 73-70. Immediately afterward, head coach Herb Sendek was visibly signaling for a timeout from the bench and began running down the court toward the referees.
Referee Todd Austin was positioned near Sendek but did not grant the request. During the postgame press conference, “I unequivocally called timeout, but they didn’t grant it,” said Sendek.
Video shows Austin briefly turning towards the Bronco bench, but continuing up the court without stopping play. Sendek’s timeout was never awarded. A timeout would have given the Broncos an opportunity to set up their defense.
Seconds later, Oweh launched a desperation half-court shot that went in, tying the game and forcing overtime. Kentucky went on to win 89-84 and advance to the second round.
Questions arose about whether the timeout signal came in time and whether officials should have granted it. Some fans also noted that the 2.4-second game clock appeared to remain frozen for roughly a second after Graves’ three-pointer.
When asked about Sendek’s timeout signal that was not granted to the Broncos, the NCAA declined to comment.
Ultimately, the Broncos fell 89-84 in overtime, ending their tournament dream.
According to the NCAA coordinator of officials, J.D. Collins (as of 2022), referees maintained a 96% accuracy rate on calls made during the first two rounds of the tournament.
For Bronco fans, the final moments in St. Louis will forever be defined by the whistle that never blew. Santa Clara was just 2.4 seconds from a historic upset when what many Bronco fans believe was an unacknowledged timeout attempt turned a celebration into a lingering controversy.