By ANNE M. PETERSON AP Sports Writer
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Now that No. 12 seed High Point busted brackets with a first-round NCAA Tournament victory over fifth-seeded Wisconsin, the Panthers — along with unlikely hero Chase Johnston — will get a shot at an encore in the West Region.
The Panthers (31-4) meet No. 4 seed Arkansas in the second round on Saturday at Portland’s Moda Center. Third-seeded Gonzaga plays No. 11 seed Texas in the other game.
As High Point’s 3-point specialist, Johnston made his first 2-point basket of the season, a fast-break layup with 11.7 seconds remaining, that gave the Panthers an 83-82 victory Thursday over Wisconsin in their opening game. Johnston finished with 14 points, including four 3-pointers.
The Panthers were 10 1/2-point underdogs in that game, according to the BetMGM Sportsbook. The Razorbacks (27-8) are an 11 1/2 favorite in Saturday’s game.
“I mean, yesterday was the least pressure we felt any game. It was the most fun we’ve had, and it kind of played out like I was hoping,” High Point coach Flynn Clayman said Friday. “We were favorites in 34 of our 34 games this year, literally, that’s not an exaggeration. So we kind of had the weight off our shoulders. We had a ton of fun.”
Johnston came into the game 0 for 4 this season inside the arc, and he had played more minutes (406) and scored more points (196) without making a 2-point shot than any player in the country.
His late-game layup made him a viral sensation for the first day of the tournament. And the victory put attention on High Point, a school of some 6,300 students located in North Carolina that’s known for some of its unusual perks, like a campus steakhouse that’s part of the meal plan.
“It’s just such justice that he gets all this national attention for never making a 2-point shot all season,” Clayman said, smiling while speaking about Johnston. “Then the first one he makes is to get us to this win in the NCAA Tournament.”
High Point earned a spot in the tournament by winning the Big South title for the second straight season. This was the first March Madness win for the Panthers, who lost to Purdue in the first round last year.
“They’re good,” Arkansas coach John Calipari said. “Wisconsin found out they were good. And they’re not afraid.”
Acuff milestones
Arkansas breezed by No. 13 seed Hawaii 97-78 in the first round, continuing a roll that propelled the Razorbacks to the Southeastern Conference tournament title.
Freshman guard Darius Acuff Jr. had 24 points against Hawaii , along with seven assists to set Arkansas’ single-season record with 223. He’s just five points away from the school’s single-season record for points, set by Todd Day with 786 points in the 1990-91 season.
Acuff’s evolution hasn’t just been with his play, but with his ability as a leader and his unselfishness, Calipari said.
“With him, having his hands on the ball, especially late, you try to trap him and may not be able to. If you do, he’s going to make a good decision and make it an easy play for us,” Calipari said. “It wasn’t that. It was all the other stuff. Learning to lead. When you lead, you’re doing something for everybody else. You’re not just scoring for yourself, you’re scoring for us. And if someone has it going, you lead and get them shots.”
Comfortable Zags
Gonzaga (31-3) has been here before. A lot.
The Bulldogs are making their 27th appearance in the NCAA Tournament. And they’ve won their March Madness opener 17 consecutives times, the longest such run in nation. The latest came Thursday when Graham Ike scored 19 points in a 73-64 victory over No. 14 seed Kennesaw State.
But just because there’s a familiarity with winning in the postseason doesn’t make it any less humbling to do it.
“Always, always, I understand just how hard it is to win a game in this tournament,” Zags coach Mark Few said. “I think that’s one of the things I’m most proud of, this streak of 27 straight now for our program.”
Twice Gonzaga has made it to the national championship game, in 2017 and 2021, but so far a title has eluded them.
Texas, the No. 11 seed, earned its spot in the West Region by beating N.C. State 68-66 on Tuesday night in a First Four matchup. Then the Longhorns (20-14) knocked off sixth-seeded BYU 79-71 in the opening round.
The rest of the West
San Diego and St. Louis played host to the West Region’s other eight teams, with those four first-round games all played on Friday. Arizona, the top seed, routed Long Island 92-58 to advance. The West’s winners move on to Sweet 16 games in San Jose, California.