Unfancied High Point Topples Wisconsin In First Upset Of March Madness

Chase Johnston made his first two-point handbasket of nan season, a fast-break layup pinch 11.7 seconds remaining that gave No 12 seed High Point an 83-82 triumph complete fifth-seeded Wisconsin connected Thursday successful nan first information of nan NCAA Tournament.

Johnston vanished pinch 14 points, including 4 three-pointers for nan Panthers, who were 10-and-a-half-point underdogs. He came successful shooting 64 of 136 (47.1%) from three-point scope but 0 of 4 wrong nan arc.

Rob Martin had 23 points and 10 assists for nan Panthers, who will look either 13th-seeded Hawaii aliases No 4 seed Arkansas successful nan 2nd information of nan Midwest Region connected Saturday.

Nick Boyd vanished pinch 27 points for Wisconsin (24-11). John Blackwell added 22 points and 10 rebounds.

After Johnston’s bucket gave High Point nan lead, Owen Aquino blocked a driving layup by Boyd. The Panthers’ Cam’Ron Fletcher was fouled and missed a free throw, giving nan Badgers a chance pinch 1 2nd left, but Andrew Rohde’s agelong walk was stolen by Terry Anderson and nan ceremony was connected for High Point and first-year coach Flynn Clayman.

High Point earned a spot successful nan tourney by winning nan Big South title for nan 2nd consecutive season. This was nan first March Madness triumph for nan Panthers, who mislaid to Purdue successful nan first information past year.

Clayman took complete for Alan Huss, who near to go an adjunct astatine Creighton pinch nan stipulation he’ll beryllium Greg McDermott’s successor.

Afterwards, High Point’s flinty coach trim thing of a pro wrestling promo successful his on-court question and reply pinch TBS, lashing retired astatine schools from powerfulness conferences for illustration Wisconsin that garbage to schedule mid-major programs for illustration High Point during nan regular play owed to nan risk.

“It looks beautiful evident to maine that precocious fields request to play mid-majors during nan season, because they said we ain’t played nobody,” Clayman said, his sound rising. “We played personification now.”

He added: “[It] feels unreal, because I cognize really bully of a squad we have. But cipher would play us. Just for illustration they wouldn’t play Miami Ohio. But they gotta play america successful this tournament.”

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 constituent this season.

The Badgers pushed up 56-50, but High Point tied it astatine 58-all connected Martin’s three-pointer. After a Wisconsin turnover, Martin missed a layup and connected nan adjacent possession, Rohde deed a 3 for nan Badgers.

Braeden Carrington’s 3 stretched Wisconsin’s lead to 68-61 pinch 7:45 left. Terry Anderson’s dunk sewage nan Panthers wrong 72-70 pinch 3:48 left. After Boyd answered pinch a brace of free throws, Johnston deed different 3 to get nan Panthers wrong a point.

Johnston deed his 4th 3 to propulsion High Point wrong 82-81 pinch 55 seconds to go.

The Badgers, making their 29th tourney appearance, mislaid successful nan semi-finals of nan Big Ten Tournament to Michigan.

No 4 Nebraska 76, No 13 Troy 47

Pryce Sandfort scored 23 points and Nebraska rolled to its long-awaited first NCAA Tournament victory, beating Troy 76-47 connected Thursday.

The Cornhuskers (27-6), nan No 4 seed successful nan South Region, entered March Madness arsenic nan only schoolhouse from a powerfulness convention without a tourney triumph – they were 0-8, pinch galore of nan losses coming arsenic nan higher seed. Sandfort helped nan Huskers extremity nan drought by making 7 three-pointers.

Braden Frager and Jamarques Lawrence each scored 13 points and Rienk Mast added 11 points, 7 assists and six rebounds for nan Huskers, who will play either No 5 seed Vanderbilt aliases 12th-seeded McNeese successful nan 2nd information connected Saturday.

Victor Valdes scored 14 points for 13th-seeded Troy (22-12), nan Sun Belt Tournament champion.

Nebraska opened this play connected a 20-game triumph streak and was classed arsenic precocious arsenic No 5 successful nan AP Top 25, giving fans dream that this would beryllium nan twelvemonth for a breakthrough. Paycom Center, which seats 18,203 for Oklahoma City Thunder games, was filled pinch boisterous Nebraska fans. The Lincoln field is simply a six-hour thrust away.

No 9 TCU 66, No 8 Ohio State 64

David Punch provided immoderate bulletin-board worldly this week erstwhile he told nan Columbus Dispatch that TCU would hit Ohio State “nine times retired of 10” because of their athleticism.

On Thursday, Punch and nan Horned Frogs backed up his bold talk.

Punch delivered a textbook introduction walk to Xavier Edmonds, who converted a layup to hit nan changeable timepiece pinch 4.3 seconds near arsenic No 9 seed TCU held disconnected a furious second-half rally by eighth-seeded Ohio State for a 66-64 triumph to unfastened nan first information of nan NCAA Tournament.

Bruce Thornton’s half-court heave astatine nan buzzer deed each backboard, and nan Buckeyes’ standout elder leaned guardant and put his hands connected his knees successful dismay adjacent midcourt arsenic TCU began its celebration.

Micah Robinson made 4 three-pointers and scored 18 points to lead TCU, Edmonds scored 16 and Punch had 16 points and 13 rebounds. The Horned Frogs (23-11) will play Saturday against either No 16 seed Siena aliases Duke, nan No 1 wide seed successful nan tournament.

No 6 Louisville 83, No 11 South Florida 79

Isaac McKneely scored 23 points, and Louisville hung connected to hit South Florida 83-79 connected Thursday to triumph their first NCAA Tournament crippled since Rick Pitino’s last play arsenic coach.

Ryan Conwell scored 11 of his 18 points successful nan 2nd half and backup guardant Sananda Fru had 10 points and 10 rebounds for nan Cardinals.

Louisville (24-10) showed signs of struggling without starting constituent defender Mikel Brown Jr, who missed his 5th consecutive crippled pinch backmost issues. It was evident successful nan Cardinals’ issues against South Florida’s property successful astir squandering a 22-point lead complete nan last 11:25.

Brown is not expected to return for nan 2nd information connected Saturday. That’s erstwhile nan East Region’s sixth seed Louisville plays nan victor of nan crippled betwixt third-seeded Michigan State (25-7) and North Dakota State (27-7).

Joseph Pinion scored 27 points for South Florida (25-9) successful a crippled successful which nan Bulls missed 20 of their first 21 three-point attempts. The Bulls were making conscionable their 4th tourney quality and first since reaching nan Sweet 16 successful 2012.