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High Point is riding high after its first March Madness win in school history.
The 12th-seeded Panthers came back from double digits to take down No. 5 Wisconsin in the tournament’s first upset in a thrilling 83-82 victory.
High Point didn’t have many opportunities to draw attention to the country as its entire schedule was filled with other mid-major schools.
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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 the Moda Center on March 19, 2026 in Portland, Oregon. (C. Morgan Engel/NCAA Images via Getty Images)
But head coach Flynn Clayman called out the Power Four schools for seemingly avoiding High Point and other mid-majors during the season.
“It seems pretty obvious to me that the high-majors are going to play the mid-majors early in the season. Because they said we weren’t playing anybody. We were playing somebody now,” Clayman said shortly after the win.
“I know what a good team we are. But nobody wanted to play us, just like they didn’t want to play Miami (Ohio). But they have to play 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 the Moda Center on March 19, 2026 in Portland, Oregon. (C. Morgan Engel/NCAA Images via Getty Images)
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High Point guard Chase Johnston scored the game-winning basket with 11.7 seconds left on a breakaway layup after Wisconsin guard Nick Boyd missed a layup that would have put the Badgers up 84-81. High Point guard Rob Martin hauled in the rebound and fired down the lane to a streaking Johnston. Incredibly, Johnston’s layup was his first two-point basket of the season.
After Johnston’s bucket gave High Point the lead, Owen Aquino blocked a driving layup by Boyd. The Panthers’ Cam’Ron Fletcher was fouled and missed a free throw, giving the Badgers a chance with 1.8 seconds left, but Andrew Rohde’s long pass was stolen by Terry Anderson and the celebration was on for High Point and first-year coach Flynn Clayman.
High Point earned a berth in the tournament by winning the Big South title for the second straight season. This was the first March Madness win for the Panthers, who lost to Purdue in the first round last year.
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 the Moda Center on March 19, 2026 in Portland, Oregon. (Soobum Im/Getty Images)
Johnston finished with 14 points, including four 3-pointers for the Panthers, who were 10.5-point underdogs.
