Wisconsin Badgers blow late lead in an 83-82 NCAA Tournament upset loss to 12th-seed High Point

The University of Wisconsin's struggles in the opening weekend of the NCAA Tournament continue, with the Badgers hitting their lowest point yet.

Leading by eight with 7:08 remaining, 12th-seeded High Point hit seven of its final nine shots to storm back to deliver a stunning 83-82 victory over fifth-seeded Wisconsin at the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon.

Wisconsin senior Nick Boyd did all he could to save the Badgers (24-11), scoring 20 of his game-high 27 points in the second half, but it was not enough to prevent another postseason implosion from a once-reliable March team.

IT'S OVER HIGH POINT COMPLETES THE UPSET OVER WISCONSIN ‼️

WHAT A GAME 😱#MarchMadness @HPUMBB pic.twitter.com/zYpnfxwfe7
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 19, 2026

After advancing to the Sweet 16 six times in seven years, the Badgers haven't won two NCAA Tournament games since 2017, three of which have been first-round upsets as a No.5 seed.

Rob Martin's 23 points were one of five double-figure scorers for High Point (31-4), which improved to 1-57 all-time against power-conference teams.

Junior John Blackwell registered a double-double with 22 points and 10 rebounds but went 1-for-6 in the second half and committed a game-high five turnovers, two in the final 4:28 of the game.

Wisconsin's frontcourt looked out of sync with the return of Nolan Winter from an ankle injury that had sidelined him for two weeks. Despite a height advantage, the trio of Aleksas Bieliauskas, Austin Rapp, and Winter finished 9-for-21 from the floor with 15 rebounds. UW was outrebounded 40-37

Wisconsin appeared to be pulling away over a five-minute stretch in the second half, turning a narrow one-point lead into an eight-point edge with points from five different players: three-pointers from seniors Braeden Carrington and Andrew Rohde, a jumper from Rapp, a layup for Bieliauskas' only bucket, and two free throws from Boyd.

The lead was four with 1:04 remaining after Boyd delivered layups on three consecutive possessions, but reserve guard Chase Johnson (14 points) hit a three on the next possession.

UW's last four possessions were a mess, starting with Blackwell turning the ball over off the inbounds. Boyd couldn't convert at the rim on the next trip, and Rohde lost Johnson streaking down the court, resulting in the graduate student making his first two-point basket of the season.

Boyd attempted to be the hero for Wisconsin, but his layup was cleanly blocked as it ascended to the basket. UW was given a second life when Cam'ron Fletcher (14 points) missed the front end of the bonus, but Rohde's heave into the frontcourt was easily intercepted, sending the Badgers into the offseason without getting a look at a game-tying shot.

After High Point opened the game with a three-pointer, the Badgers went on a 15-2 run with a mixture of drives to the rim and perimeter shots. Boyd delivered in both areas with UW's first seven points.

He didn't score again in the half, as Wisconsin struggled with its rim defense. The Panthers averaged 26 three-pointers per game leading into the tournament but went 6-for-23 in the first half. High Point still averaged 1.15 points per possession through the bevy of misses because it held an 8-3 edge in offensive rebounds and scored 18 points in the paint.

But UW led at halftime thanks to Blackwell, who had 20 points (7-for-9 FG), six rebounds and no turnovers in the opening 20 minutes.

What it means: Wisconsin's terrific turnaround in 2026, when the Badgers won four games against AP Top-10 teams and beat four AP Top-15 teams on the road, is marred by another postseason disappointment that will only further the narrative of them being a great regular-season team.

Star of the game: Boyd was easily Wisconsin's best player and most valuable. He becomes the first UW player since Michael Finley to average over 20 points in a season, and his 726 points are second-most for a UW player in a single season - two more than John Tonje and six shy of Frank Kaminsky's 2015 season. It's a shame Wisconsin fans could only enjoy him for one season.

Stat of the game: High Point averaged 26 three-point attempts and 9.2 makes a season, but the Panthers went 15-for-40 against the Badgers. It was the second-most threes High Point made all season on the most attempts. High Point went 4-for-5 from three in the final 4:16.

Don’t overlook: After scoring 18 points on senior day, senior Braeden Carrington went 10-for-35 from the floor over the final five games, including 7-for-27 from three.

What’s next: Wisconsin is sent into its offseason earlier than expected and will now have to address a number of major question marks. The Badgers will be back in the portal looking for a starting point guard, as well as likely needing depth at guard and the frontcourt. Will Blackwell and Winter be back? Odds are they will, as they aren't yet NBA-caliber prospects, but one never knows in this era. Most importantly, how can the Badgers build an explosive offense with a stingy defense, something they never consistently did, and what ultimately cost them on the final day of the season.