High Point University defeated the University of Wisconsin 83-82 on Thursday, March 19, 2026, at the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon, in the first round of the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. The win marked an upset for the No. 12 seed Panthers over the No. 5 seed Badgers in the single-elimination event.[1]
High Point guard Chase Johnston scored the game-winning layup on a breakaway with 11 seconds left after grabbing the rebound from a missed layup by Wisconsin guard Nick Boyd that would have given the Badgers an 84-81 lead. High Point guard Rob Martin secured the rebound and passed ahead to Johnston.
Johnston finished with 14 points off the bench, including 4-for-6 from three-point range. Martin led High Point with 23 points and 10 assists. Teammates Owen Aquino added 11 points, Terry Anderson 15 points and Cam'Ron Fletcher 14 points.
For Wisconsin, Nick Boyd scored 27 points with five rebounds and six assists. John Blackwell had 22 points and 10 rebounds, while Austin Rapp contributed 12 points.
The High Point Panthers compete in the Big South Conference.[2] The Wisconsin Badgers represent the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the Big Ten Conference.[3] Wisconsin has previously suffered a first-round exit as a No. 5 seed, losing 61-72 to No. 12 James Madison on March 21, 2024.[4][5]
Sources
- Moda Center Wikipedia page, "Moda Center", accessed October 2024, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moda_Center
- High Point Panthers official athletics site, "Men's Basketball", accessed October 2024, https://highpointpanthers.com/sports/mens-basketball
- UW Badgers official athletics site, "Men's Basketball", accessed October 2024, https://uwbadgers.com/sports/mens-basketball
- ESPN, "James Madison vs. Wisconsin - NCAA Tournament First Round Box Score - March 21, 2024", March 21, 2024, https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/boxscore/_/gameId/401580425
- NCAA.com, "James Madison 72 vs. Wisconsin 61 - Men's Basketball March Madness", March 21, 2024, https://www.ncaa.com/game/6174756
