High Point’s Historic March Madness Upset Over Wisconsin

In a significant NCAA Tournament upset, the 12th-seeded High Point Panthers defeated the 5th-seeded Wisconsin Badgers 83-82 in the opening round. The game, played at the Moda Center in Portland, was decided in the final seconds by an unlikely hero. Chase Johnston, a graduate student who had not made a single two-point basket the entire season, scored a fast-break layup with 11.7 seconds remaining to give the Panthers the lead. Prior to this shot, Johnston had scored his 196 points this season exclusively through three-pointers and free throws.The match was characterized by intense momentum shifts. Wisconsin started strong with a 10-3 run and held a narrow 41-39 lead at halftime, largely due to John Blackwell’s 20-point first-half performance. In the second half, the Badgers managed to build an eight-point lead, 70-62, with roughly seven minutes left on the clock. High Point fought back with resilient perimeter shooting, including four three-pointers from Johnston and a stellar all-around performance from Rob Martin, who recorded 23 points and 10 assists.The final moments were filled with defensive heroics. After Johnston’s go-ahead basket, Wisconsin’s Nick Boyd, who led all scorers with 27 points, attempted a driving layup that was blocked by Owen Aquino. Following a missed free throw by the Panthers, the Badgers had one final chance with one second remaining, but Terry Anderson intercepted the long inbound pass to secure the victory.This win represents a historic milestone as High Point’s first-ever victory in the NCAA Tournament. Under the leadership of first-year head coach Flynn Clayman, the Panthers entered the tournament with a 14-game winning streak, the longest active streak in the country at the time. The team reached the tournament after winning both the regular season and tournament championships in the Big South Conference. Conversely, the loss marked the fourth consecutive time Wisconsin has been eliminated from the NCAA Tournament by a lower-seeded opponent. While the Badgers showed promise during their run to the Big Ten Tournament semifinals, they were unable to overcome the Panthers' late-game surge.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/champions-network--6884663/support.