High Point Stuns Wisconsin in NCAA Tournament Upset

High Point, a No. 12 seed, defeated No. 5 seed Wisconsin 83-82 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The victory marks High Point's first win in the tournament's history, achieved in its second-ever tournament game, and represents its first win over a power conference opponent. Chase Johnston scored the decisive basket with 11.7 seconds remaining, contributing to his 14 points.

Game Overview

High Point secured an 83-82 victory over Wisconsin in a thrilling first-round contest. Wisconsin had established a 10-point lead in the first half and maintained a 70-62 advantage with 7:08 remaining in the game. High Point subsequently initiated a determined rally, heavily utilizing 3-point shooting to close the deficit. The team secured its first lead since a 43-41 advantage at the 18:56 mark of the second half, demonstrating a remarkable comeback.

Key Moments and Decisive Plays

The go-ahead basket, a fast-break layup scored by Chase Johnston with 11.7 seconds remaining, proved to be the pivotal moment. Following this score, Owen Aquino of High Point delivered a crucial block on a driving layup attempt by Wisconsin's Nick Boyd. A subsequent missed free throw by High Point's Cam'Ron Fletcher left Wisconsin with one second on the clock for a final attempt. The game concluded dramatically when Andrew Rohde's long pass was intercepted by Terry Anderson, ultimately securing High Point's historic win. High Point recorded two critical defensive stops in the final seconds of the contest.

Player Performances

High Point

• Senior guard Rob Martin led High Point with 23 points and 10 assists, showcasing a dominant offensive performance.
• Backup player Chase Johnston contributed 14 points, making 4 of 6 three-point attempts. His game-winning layup was notably his first two-point field goal of the season; he had played 406 minutes and scored 196 points without making a shot inside the arc prior to this game. Johnston also made three 3-pointers within the final 4:55.
• Five High Point players reached double figures in scoring, highlighting a balanced offensive attack.

Wisconsin

• Nick Boyd scored 27 points, leading the Badgers in scoring.
• John Blackwell added 22 points and 10 rebounds, contributing a double-double effort.

Team Statistics

High Point demonstrated strong perimeter shooting, making 15 of 40 (38%) three-point attempts, while Wisconsin shot 9 of 23 (39%) from long distance. High Point also outrebounded Wisconsin 40-37 and committed significantly fewer turnovers with six, compared to Wisconsin’s 10.

Tournament Context and Historical Significance

This victory marks High Point's inaugural NCAA Tournament win and its first over a power conference opponent, changing its all-time record against such teams from 0-57 to 1-57. It is also the first win for a double-digit seed in the current tournament. High Point, the Big South champion for the second consecutive season, entered the game with an impressive 30-4 record and is led by first-year coach Flynn Clayman.

Conversely, Wisconsin has been eliminated in the first round and has not advanced past the NCAA Tournament's first weekend since the Sweet 16 in 2017. The team has now been eliminated by a lower-seeded opponent in each of its last four NCAA Tournament appearances. This outcome follows Ohio State’s loss to TCU and occurred in a tournament where another Big Ten team, Nebraska, secured its first NCAA tournament win by defeating McNeese.

High Point will advance to face No. 4 seed Arkansas in the second round of the West Region.