High Point University defeated the University of Wisconsin 83-82 in the first round of the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament on Thursday, March 19, 2026, at the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon.[1]
High Point guard Chase Johnston scored the game-winning layup with 11 seconds remaining on a breakaway after Wisconsin guard Nick Boyd missed a layup that would have given the Badgers an 84-81 lead. High Point guard Rob Martin grabbed the rebound and passed ahead to Johnston.
Johnston, coming off the bench, finished with 14 points, including 4-of-6 from three-point range. Martin led High Point with 23 points and 10 assists. Owen Aquino scored 11 points, Terry Anderson added 15, and Cam'Ron Fletcher had 14 for the Panthers, who compete in the Big South Conference.[2]
For Wisconsin of the Big Ten Conference, Nick Boyd scored a game-high 27 points with five rebounds and six assists. John Blackwell added 22 points and 10 rebounds, while Austin Rapp contributed 12 points.
The victory marked High Point's first NCAA tournament win in their second appearance. The Panthers, based in High Point, North Carolina, play home games at the Millis Center.[2]
Wisconsin's loss was their second first-round exit as a No. 5 seed in three years. The Badgers fell 72-61 to No. 12 James Madison in the 2024 tournament first round.[3][4] Their last advancement beyond the second round came in 2017, when they lost in the Sweet 16 to Florida.[5]
The Moda Center, home of the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers, has hosted multiple NCAA tournament games.[1]
Sources
- Encyclopedia: Moda Center. Accessed October 2024. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moda_Center
- Encyclopedia: High Point Panthers men's basketball. Accessed October 2024. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_Point_Panthers_men%27s_basketball
- NCAA: No. 12 James Madison shocks No. 5 Wisconsin in first round of NCAA tournament. March 21, 2024. https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/article/2024-03-21/no-12-james-madison-shocks-no-5-wisconsin-first-round-ncaa-tournament
- University of Wisconsin: Men's Basketball Recap: James Madison eliminates No. 12/4 Wisconsin in NCAA First Round. March 21, 2024. https://uwbadgers.com/news/2024/3/21/mens-basketball-recap-james-madison-eliminates-no-12-4-wisconsin-in-ncaa-first-round
- Encyclopedia: Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball. Accessed October 2024. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wisconsin_Badgers_men%27s_basketball
