High Point defeats Wisconsin 83-82 in NCAA tournament first-round game
High Point University's Panthers beat fifth-seeded Wisconsin 83-82 in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament on March 19 at Moda Center in Portland, Oregon.
The 12th-seeded Panthers rallied from a double-digit deficit for their first NCAA tournament victory. High Point qualified by winning the Big South Conference tournament for the second consecutive season after a first-round loss last year as a No. 13 seed to No. 4 Purdue.
Guard Chase Johnston scored the go-ahead layup on a breakaway with 11.7 seconds remaining. The play followed a missed layup by Wisconsin guard Nick Boyd, with High Point guard Rob Martin securing the rebound and passing ahead to Johnston, a three-point specialist whose bucket was his first two-point field goal of the season.
Owen Aquino then blocked another layup attempt by Boyd. Cam'Ron Fletcher was fouled and missed one free throw, leaving 1.8 seconds. Terry Anderson intercepted a long pass by Andrew Rohde to secure the win for first-year coach Flynn Clayman.
In postgame comments, Johnston credited his faith. "First and foremost, I wanna give all glory to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ," he said. "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 High Point Panthers represent High Point University in High Point, North Carolina, and compete in the NCAA Division I Big South Conference.[1]
Moda Center is a multi-purpose arena in Portland, Oregon.[2]
High Point faces fourth-seeded Arkansas in the second round on March 21.
Sources
- Wikipedia, "High Point Panthers men's basketball", accessed October 2024, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_Point_Panthers_men%27s_basketball
- Wikipedia, "Moda Center", accessed October 2024, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moda_Center
