High Point Overcomes Big Deficit in Title Game to Book First Trip to NCAA Tournament

The Big South team trailed by as many as 15 points in Sunday's championship game.

High Point University's Trae Benham reacts to a basket scored vs. Winthrop. / Big South Conference/Screengrab

It's officially March and basketball programs are booking their tickets to the NCAA tournament. High Point University became one of the first teams to secure a trip to the men's basketball tournament thanks to their Big South tournament win over Winthrop on Sunday. It will be the program's first ever NCAA tournament appearance.

The Panthers, who were ranked No. 1 in the conference, trailed by as many as 15 points in Sunday's championship game, but they retook the lead in the second half. High Point ended up winning 80–69.

High Point's team understandably went wild as time expired, running around and jumping up and down on the court as they celebrated their first NCAA tournament bid in program history.

Their fun and heartwarming celebration was caught on video.

LET’S GO DANCING, @HPUMBB!#BigSouthMBB pic.twitter.com/fdcVRjL2xT

— Big South Conference (@BigSouthSports) March 9, 2025

For those who may not be familiar with High Point and how the team did this season, the Panthers finished the year with a 28–5 record and a 14–2 Big South record. Coach Alan Huss took over last season and led the team to a 27–9 record, but the Panthers were upset in the Big South tournament and lost their chances of making it to the Big Dance. So, Sunday's win meant even more to them because of last season's lost hope.

As of now, the Panthers are a projected No. 13 seed, according to College Basketball Report. They'll be a team to look out for, especially when it comes to possible Cinderella runs.

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