High Point defeats Wisconsin 83-82 for first NCAA tournament win
Authored by zh-ayx-sports.com, Mar 20, 2026
Twelfth-seeded High Point University rallied from a double-digit deficit to beat fifth-seeded Wisconsin 83-82 in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament on March 19, 2026, at the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon.[1][2] The victory marked the Panthers' first in NCAA tournament play.
High Point, representing the Big South Conference, earned an automatic bid by winning the league title for the second consecutive season.[3] The Panthers lost to Purdue in the first round of the 2025 tournament.[1]
Wisconsin, from the Big Ten Conference, held a lead late in the game. With High Point trailing 81-80, Badgers guard Nick Boyd missed a layup. Panthers guard Rob Martin grabbed the rebound and passed ahead to guard Chase Johnston, who scored on a breakaway layup with 11.7 seconds remaining for an 83-82 lead.[1][2]
After Johnston's basket, High Point forward Owen Aquino blocked another Boyd layup attempt. Panthers forward Cam'Ron Fletcher missed one of two free throws, but forward Terry Anderson intercepted Badgers guard Andrew Rohde's inbound pass with 1.8 seconds left to seal the win.[1]
Johnston led High Point with 14 points, including four 3-pointers. His game-winning layup was his first 2-point field goal of the season. High Point entered as a 10.5-point underdog.[1]
High Point coach Flynn Clayman, in his first season, commented postgame on the nonconference scheduling: "It looks pretty obvious to me that high-majors need to play mid-majors early in the season. Because they said we didn't play nobody. We played somebody now."[1]
The Panthers advance to the second round, where matchups will be determined after other first-round games.[2]
Sources
- Fox News, "High Point is riding high after its first March Madness victory in school history," March 20, 2026, https://www.foxnews.com/sports/high-point-panthers-upset-wisconsin-badgers-ncaa-tournament-2026
- NCAA.com, "2026 Men's Basketball Bracket - First Round: High Point vs. Wisconsin," March 19, 2026, https://www.ncaa.com/game/5767891
- High Point Panthers official site, "High Point Wins Big South Tournament Title," March 10, 2026, https://highpointpanthers.com/news/2026/3/10/mens-basketball-panthers-win-big-south-championship.aspx