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High Point is celebrating its inaugural March Madness win, a historic first for the institution.
The 12th-seed Panthers staged a remarkable comeback from a double-digit deficit, defeating No. 5 Wisconsin 83-82 in the tournament’s initial upset.
High Point previously lacked significant chances to capture national attention, given its schedule predominantly featured other mid-major programs.
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Head coach Flynn Clayman of the High Point Panthers celebrates after the High Point Panthers upset the Wisconsin Badgers in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament held at Moda Center on March 19, 2026, in Portland, Oregon. (C. Morgan Engel/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
However, head coach Flynn Clayman criticized the Power Four conferences, alleging they intentionally sidestepped playing High Point and similar mid-major teams during the regular season.
“It’s quite clear that major conference teams should be scheduling mid-majors early in the season. They claimed we hadn’t faced any tough opponents. Well, we certainly have now,” Clayman stated shortly after the win.
“I’m fully aware of our team’s capabilities. Yet, no one would schedule us, just as they avoided playing Miami (Ohio). But they have no choice but to face us in this tournament.”
Head coach Flynn Clayman of the High Point Panthers is embraced by guard Scotty Washington and forward Terry Anderson after upsetting the Wisconsin Badgers in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament held at Moda Center on March 19, 2026, in Portland, Oregon. (C. Morgan Engel/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
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With 11.7 seconds remaining, High Point’s guard Chase Johnston secured the winning points on a breakaway layup. This came after Wisconsin guard Nick Boyd’s missed layup would have given the Badgers an 84-81 lead. High Point guard Rob Martin grabbed the rebound and quickly passed it downcourt to Johnston, who was sprinting ahead. Remarkably, this decisive layup marked Johnston’s first two-point field goal of the entire season.
Following Johnston’s go-ahead score, Owen Aquino successfully blocked a driving layup attempt by Boyd. Cam’Ron Fletcher of the Panthers was then fouled, but he missed his free throw, leaving Wisconsin with 1.8 seconds to respond. However, Andrew Rohde’s subsequent long pass was intercepted by Terry Anderson, sealing the victory and igniting celebrations for High Point and their rookie coach, Flynn Clayman.
High Point secured their tournament berth by clinching the Big South championship for the second consecutive year. This win marked the Panthers’ initial victory in March Madness, contrasting with their first-round exit against Purdue last season.
Braden Hausen of the High Point Panthers celebrates his block with teammate Terry Anderson against the Wisconsin Badgers during the second half in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Moda Center on March 19, 2026, in Portland, Oregon. (Soobum Im/Getty Images)
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Johnston concluded the game with 14 points, notably sinking four 3-pointers, for the Panthers, who had been considered 10.5-point underdogs.
Contributions to this story were made by Ryan Canfield of Fox News and The Associated Press.
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