High Point University's Panthers, seeded No. 12, came back from a double-digit deficit to beat No. 5 seed Wisconsin 83-82 in a first-round game of the 2026 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament on March 19 at the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon.[1] The victory marked High Point's first win in NCAA tournament history.
High Point guard Chase Johnston scored the game-winning layup with 11.7 seconds remaining after grabbing a breakaway pass from teammate Rob Martin off a missed layup by Wisconsin's Nick Boyd. Johnston, a 3-point specialist, recorded his first 2-point field goal of the season on the play.
After Johnston's basket put High Point ahead, Owen Aquino blocked another attempt by Boyd. Cam'Ron Fletcher missed a free throw, but with 1.8 seconds left, Terry Anderson intercepted Andrew Rohde's inbounds pass to seal the win.
Postgame, Johnston credited his faith: "First and foremost, I wanna give all glory to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. It's been an unbelievable season. This is a group of guys that's built on John 15:13. We serve each other, we love each other, and we’d die for each other. I'm so grateful."
The Panthers qualified by winning the Big South Conference tournament title for the second consecutive season.[2] They lost in the first round last year as a No. 13 seed to No. 4 Purdue. High Point is coached by Flynn Clayman, who was hired in March 2024.[3]
Wisconsin competes in the Big Ten Conference.[4] High Point, members of the Big South Conference, face No. 4 seed Arkansas in the second round on Saturday.
Sources
- Moda Center. Wikipedia. Accessed October 2024. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moda_Center
- Big South Conference official website. Big South Sports. Accessed October 2024. https://bigsouthsports.com/
- High Point Panthers. "Flynn Clayman Named Fifth Head Men’s Basketball Coach at High Point University." March 25, 2024. https://highpointpanthers.com/news/2024/3/25/mens-basketball-flynn-clayman-named-fifth-head-mens-basketball-coach-at-high-point-university.aspx
- University of Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball. UWBadgers.com. Accessed October 2024. https://uwbadgers.com/sports/mens-basketball
