High Point knocks off Wisconsin in thriller delivering first big upset of NCAA Tournament
By David Wasson
Published:
The first major upset of the 2026 NCAA Tournament is in the books, as 12th-seeded High Point edged fifth-seeded Wisconsin 83-82 in a West Region first-round game Thursday in Portland.
The Panthers (31-4) earned their first NCAA Tournament victory in just their second March Madness trip and advance to play either fourth-seeded Arkansas or 13th-seeded Hawaii in the second round Saturday. Wisconsin’s season ends at 24-11.
OH MY GOD.
— SleeperHoops (@Sleeper_Hoops) March 19, 2026
HIGH POINT TAKES THE LEAD WITH 11 SECONDS LEFT OVER WISCONSIN
THIS IS MADNESS. THIS IS MARCH.
pic.twitter.com/ggTdpE3SZI
High Point, which won both the Big South regular season and tournament titles, trailed by four points with less than a minute to play before reserve Chase Johnston hit a 3-pointer with 55 seconds remaining and then converted a fast-break layup with 11 seconds left. Wisconsin had a chance to re-take the lead in the closing seconds, but Nick Boyd’s driving layup was blocked by Owen Aquino with four seconds to go to seal it.
Rob Martin scored 23 points to pace High Point, which entered the NCAA Tournament riding a 14-game winning streak that is the longest in the country. Terry Anderson scored 15 points for the Panthers, and Johnston and Cam’Ron Fletcher each came off the bench for 14 apiece.
Boyd led the Badgers with 27 points and John Blackwell added 22 points. High Point made 15 3-pointers in the game on 40 attempts, outpacing Wisconsin’s 9-for-23 effort beyond the arc.
An APSE national award-winning writer and editor, David Wasson has almost four decades of experience in the print journalism business in Florida and Alabama. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and several national magazines and websites. His Twitter handle: @JustDWasson.
