The High Point Panthers, champions of the Big South Conference, took a 14-game winning streak into the NCAA Tournament, longest in the nation. Their opponents were the 4th-seeded Wisconsin Badgers, who lost in the semifinals of the Big 10 Conference tournament to Michigan.
The Panthers led 43-41 just 1:09 into the second half, after Wisconsin took a 41-39 lead into the half. With just 14 seconds remaining in the game, ESPN had Wisconsin calculated to be a 70.2-percent favorite to win.
The success of the Panthers this season should not come to as much as a surprise around the college basketball world to anyone. Between the men’s and women’s Panther programs, High Point has 57 wins, the second most of any school at the Division I level. Only Connecticut’s 60 are more, led by their women’s 34-0 record.
Prior to the Panthers’ 83-82 victory on Thursday afternoon, the program was a combined 0-57 in their history against schools from power conferences. The victory was their first in the NCAA Tournament, and just the fourth for any school in the history of the Big South Conference.
The hero of the day for High Point turned out to be reserve senior guard Chase Johnston, who hit his first two-point field goal of the season when the Panthers needed it most. Johnston scored 14 points in 22 minutes, including shooting 4-of-6 from three-point range, but hit was his breakaway layup that iced the victory for High Point, who are making their second consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament. A 48.5-percent shooter from beyond the arc, Johnson took only four shots all season inside of it until the final moments of Thursday's game.
Wisconsin allowed High Point to hang around far too long in the second half, even after the lead had expanded to 68-61 with 7:45 left in regulation. High Point finished with a 13-6 edge on the offensive glass, while committing only six turnovers. This is the beauty of this tournament, that one bad stretch by the Badgers allowed the momentum to shift to the small school in North Carolina. The Badgers ran their entire offense through star guard Nick Boyd down the stretch, which ultimately ended their season. Boyd’s driving layup was blocked by High Point’s Owen Aquino with four seconds remaining.
Much like how Miami of Ohio got no respect from the Selection Committee in earning an 11 seed, and being subjected to playing in the First Four matchups in Dayton on Wednesday, High Point was looking to turn their section of the bracket on its ear with a win. Miami handed their business against SMU, and will play 6-seeded Tennessee on Friday.
Over a quarter of the brackets around the country had High Point pulling the upset over Wisconsin.
VCU's win over North Carolina may get more attention because it was North Carolina, but High Point's win holds a lot more water being from a one-bid conference like the Big South. The Atlantic 10 sent VCU and Saint Louis, the latter earning a 9-seed, and crushed Georgia in their first round matchup.
VCU's win over North Carolina may get more attention because it was North Carolina, but High Point's win holds a lot more water being from a one-bid conference like the Big South. The Atlantic 10 sent VCU and Saint Louis, the latter earning a 9-seed, and crushed Georgia in their first round matchup.
Only six programs in the country have 30 wins this season. Gonzaga, Arizona, and Miami of Ohio still have to play their first round games at the time this piece is being written, but everyone else is already into the second round.
You do not win 30 games in a season in college basketball without taking down a heavy hitter or two at some point during the season. We still have a whole extra set of first round games on Friday where a power conference team could be sent home well before expected as well!
-JC24