(UW ATHLETICS) PORTLAND, ORE – The fifth-seeded Wisconsin men’s basketball team fell to 12-seed High Point, 83-82, in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament on Thursday at the Moda Center in Portland.
In his final game as a Badger, Nick Boyd led with a game-high 27 points, going 10-of-20 from the field. John Blackwell had a double-double with 22 points and 10 rebounds. Austin Rapp added 12 points in his fifth-straight start.
Badgers coach Greg Gard said the Badgers deserved better.
He said that High Point had one way to win and they pulled it off.
Gard said that UW didn’t play bad. High Point was just better.
Nolan Winter talked about the loss.
The Badgers got off to a 10-3 run as Boyd scored UW’s first seven points. UW held a steady lead as High Point got back in it, upping the tempo halfway through the first. The Badger advantage continued to stay in the single digits, as Bucky searched for separation late in the period. High Point tied the game with a minute to play, but Blackwell punctuated his stellar half with a driving layup to beat the buzzer. His 20 points set the tone for UW’s 41-39 halftime lead.
Wisconsin got some space five minutes into the second half, sparking a 7-0 spurt. The Panthers would respond, though, tying the game with a surge of their own.
The streaky affair continued with a 10-3 Badger run into the eight-minute media timeout. High Point answered again, coming back to tie the game with two minutes to play. Boyd continued to attack the rim, scoring 10 of UW’s final 12 points, but it wasn’t enough as High Point secured the win.
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