High Point upsets Wisconsin in first March Madness upset with exciting finish

March Madness has officially arrived.

No. 12 seed High Point defeated No. 5 seed Wisconsin, 83-82 in the first round of the NCAA Men’s Tournament at Moda Center on Tuesday.

High Point guard Chase Johnston scored the game-winning basket with 11 seconds 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 grabbed the rebound and fired toward a rushing Johnston.

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High Point guard Chase Johnston reacts after shooting a 3-pointer during the first half of the first round of the NCAA college basketball tournament against Wisconsin, Thursday, March 19, 2026, in Portland, Oregon. (AP Photo/Craig Mitchelldyer)

The game-winning layup was Johnston’s first two-pointer all season. Johnston hit multiple clutch 3-pointers down the stretch, scoring 14 points off the bench and going 4-6 from behind the arc.

Martin, who assisted on the game-winning layup, led the Panthers in scoring with 23 points and also dished out 10 assists. Owen Aquino (11 points), Terry Anderson (15 points) and Cam’Ron Fletcher (14 points) were the other players to score in double figures for High Point.

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High Point forward Cam’ron Fletcher reacts during the first half of the first round of the NCAA college basketball tournament against Wisconsin, Thursday, March 19, 2026, in Portland, Oregon. (AP Photo/Craig Mitchelldyer)

The win over Wisconsin is the first NCAA tournament victory for High Point in its second tournament appearance. Last year was the Panthers’ first appearance.

Boyd and John Blackwell led the way for Wisconsin in the loss. Boyd scored 27 points with five rebounds and six assists while Blackwell had 22 points and 10 rebounds. Austin Rapp added 12 points.

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Wisconsin guard Nick Boyd (2) tries to get past High Point forward Owen Aquino (8) during the second half of the first round of the NCAA college basketball tournament on Thursday, March 19, 2026, in Portland, Oregon. (AP Photo/Amanda Lomán)

For Wisconsin, this is its second loss in three years in the first round as a fifth seed. Wisconsin lost to James Madison 72-61 in the first round in 2024. Last year, Wisconsin lost to BYU 91-89 in the second round.

The last time Wisconsin made it out of the second round was in 2017, when it lost in the Sweet Sixteen.

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