High Point rallied from a double-digit deficit to beat Wisconsin 83-82 in a first-round game of the men's NCAA Division I basketball tournament on March 19, 2026, at Moda Center in Portland, Oregon. The victory gave the Panthers their first win in NCAA tournament history.

High Point guard Chase Johnston scored the game-winning layup with 11.7 seconds remaining after grabbing a pass from teammate Rob Martin on a fast break. The bucket followed a missed layup by Wisconsin's Nick Boyd that would have given the Badgers an 84-81 lead.

Johnston, a 3-point specialist who had not made a two-point field goal during the season prior to this game, then said after the game: "First and foremost, I wanna give all glory to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. 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."

Wisconsin had a final chance after High Point's Cam'Ron Fletcher missed a free throw, but Andrew Rohde's inbound pass with 1.8 seconds left was stolen by Terry Anderson to seal the win.

The game concluded first-year High Point coach Flynn Clayman's debut NCAA tournament appearance. High Point qualified by winning the Big South Conference tournament. The Panthers, based in High Point, North Carolina, compete in the Big South Conference and play home games at the Nido R. Qubein Center and Conference Center.[1]

Moda Center, located in Portland, Oregon, has hosted previous NCAA tournament games.[2]

High Point advanced to face No. 4 seed Arkansas in the second round on Saturday.

Sources

1. High Point University Athletics. "Men's Basketball". Accessed October 2024. https://highpointpanthers.com/sports/mens-basketball
2. Wikipedia. "Moda Center". Accessed October 2024. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moda_Center