High Point University's men's basketball team defeated fifth-seeded Wisconsin 83-82 in a first-round game of the 2026 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament on March 19, 2026, at the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon. The No. 12 seed Panthers overcame a double-digit deficit for their first victory in NCAA tournament history.
High Point guard Chase Johnston scored a layup with 11.7 seconds remaining to give his team the lead. The basket followed a missed layup by Wisconsin's Nick Boyd and a rebound by High Point's Rob Martin, who passed to Johnston on the breakaway. Johnston, a three-point specialist, recorded his first two-point field goal of the season.
After Johnston's basket, High Point's Owen Aquino blocked a shot attempt by Boyd. Cam'Ron Fletcher missed a free throw, but Terry Anderson intercepted Andrew Rohde's inbound pass with 1.8 seconds left to seal the win.
Post-game, 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 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament features 68 teams in a single-elimination format, with the first round including matchups such as 5-vs-12 seeds that have produced several upsets historically.[1]
High Point earned an automatic bid by winning the Big South Conference tournament for the second consecutive season.[2] The Panthers fell in the first round last year as a No. 13 seed to fourth-seeded Purdue. The team is led by first-year head coach Flynn Clayman.
High Point, a mid-major program from the Big South Conference, will face fourth-seeded Arkansas in the second round on Saturday.[3]
Sources
- NCAA. "Men's basketball tournament overview." Accessed October 2024. https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/article/what-march-madness-ncaa-mens-basketball-tournament
- High Point Panthers athletics. "Men's Basketball." Accessed October 2024. https://highpointpanthers.com/sports/mens-basketball
- Big South Conference. "Big South men's basketball." Accessed October 2024. https://bigsouthsports.com/sports/mbball
