The Layup of a Lifetime: How a 3-Point Specialist’s First 2-Pointer of the Year Toppled Wisconsin

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On Thursday, the 12th-seeded High Point Panthers etched their names into tournament lore, upsetting the 5th-seeded Wisconsin Badgers 83–82 at the Moda Center. The victory marks High Point’s first NCAA Tournament win in program history and continues a frustrating trend for Wisconsin, which has now suffered three first-round exits as a 5-seed since 2019.

The Shot: A Statistical Anomaly

The game-winning moment belonged to High Point senior Chase Johnston, but the context of the basket makes it one of the most improbable plays in tournament history.

Entering the game, Johnston was a pure specialist: he had scored 196 points on the season but had zero two-point field goals. He was 0-for-4 inside the arc all year.

The Play: With High Point trailing 82–81 and just 11.7 seconds remaining, Johnston leaked out in transition. Rob Martin found him with a perfect outlet pass, and Johnston converted a contested fast-break layup.
The Result: It was his first two-pointer of the season, and it was the game-winner.

How the Upset Happened

Wisconsin appeared to have the game under control midway through the second half, leading by eight with 7:08 remaining. However, the Panthers’ “pace and space” offense eventually wore down the Badgers’ perimeter defense.

Three-Point Barrage: High Point attempted a staggering 40 three-pointers, connecting on 15 of them (37.5%). They went 9-of-17 from deep in the second half alone.
Rob Martin’s Mastery: The Panthers’ guard was the engine of the offense, finishing with 23 points and 10 assists.
Defensive Stand: After Johnston’s layup gave High Point the lead, Wisconsin senior Nick Boyd (who led all scorers with 27 points) drove to the rim for the win. High Point’s Owen Aquino emphatically blocked his shot, and a desperation “Hail Mary” pass from Wisconsin was stolen as time expired.

“We Played Somebody Now”

The post-game fireworks weren’t limited to the court. First-year High Point coach Flynn Clayman delivered a fiery, viral interview on the TBS broadcast, calling out Power Five programs for refusing to schedule elite mid-majors.

“It looks pretty obvious to me that high majors need to play mid-majors during the season, because they said we ain’t played nobody,” Clayman said. “We played somebody now.”

What’s Next?

High Point (31–4) advances to the Round of 32 for the first time in school history. They will face No. 4 seed Arkansas on Saturday. For Wisconsin (24–11), the loss mars a season in which they beat four AP Top-10 teams, only to fall victim to the “12-over-5” curse once again.