PORTLAND, Ore. — Chase Johnston made his first 2-point basket of the season, a fast-break layup with 11.7 seconds remaining that gave No. 12 seed High Point an 83-82 victory over fifth-seeded Wisconsin on Thursday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Johnston finished with 14 points, including four 3-pointers for the Panthers, who were 10 1/2-point underdogs, according to Sportsbook. He came in shooting 64 of 136 (47.1%) from 3-point range but 0 of 4 inside the arc.
Rob Martin had 23 points and 10 assists for the Panthers, who will face either 13th-seeded Hawaii or No. 4 seed Arkansas in the second round of the Midwest Region on Saturday.
Nick Boyd finished with 27 points for Wisconsin (24-11). John Blackwell added 22 points and 10 rebounds.
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 second 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 spot 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.
Clayman took over for Alan Huss, who left to become an assistant at Creighton with the stipulation he’ll be Greg McDermott’s successor.
High Point was resilient against Wisconsin’s duo of Blackwell and Boyd, taking an early second-half 43-41 lead. Both Badgers guards averaged 19-plus point this season.
The Badgers pushed ahead 56-50, but High Point tied it at 58-all on Martin’s 3-pointer. After a Wisconsin turnover, Martin missed a layup and on the next possession, Rohde hit a 3 for the Badgers.
Braeden Carrington’s 3 stretched Wisconsin’s lead to 68-61 with 7:45 left. Terry Anderson’s dunk got the Panthers within 72-70 with 3:48 left. After Boyd answered with a pair of free throws, Johnston hit another 3to get the Panthers within a point.
Johnston hit his fourth 3 to pull High Point within 82-81 with 55 seconds to go.
The Badgers, making their 29th tournament appearance, lost in the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament to Michigan.
