No. 12 seed High Point put up a competitive effort against No. 4 seed Arkansas in the second round of the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament but fell short late on Saturday night at the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon.

The Panthers advanced to the Round of 32 after an upset win over No. 5 seed Wisconsin in the first round, marking their first NCAA tournament victory after debuting in the event the previous year.

High Point led by as many as five points early and held a slim advantage midway through the second half, but Arkansas responded with a key run and pulled away over the final minutes for the victory.

Arkansas head coach John Calipari, who joined the Razorbacks from Kentucky in April 2024, secured a Sweet 16 berth in his first season with the program.[1]

The Razorbacks, representing the University of Arkansas in the Southeastern Conference, were favored by 11.5 points entering the game.

Arkansas will face the winner of No. 1 Arizona versus No. 9 Utah State in the Sweet 16.

High Point, from High Point University in North Carolina's Big South Conference, was led in the tournament by players including guards Rob Martin and Cam'Ron Fletcher, and forward Terry Anderson.

Arkansas guard Darius Acuff Jr. led all scorers in the game.

Sources

1. Arkansas Razorbacks official site. "Arkansas Hires John Calipari as Next Men's Basketball Head Coach." April 8, 2024. https://arkansasrazorbacks.com/news/2024/4/8/mens-basketball-arkansas-hires-john-calipari-as-next-mens-basketball-head-coach/
2. High Point Panthers official site. "Men's Basketball Roster." Accessed October 2024. https://highpointpanthers.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster
3. Wikipedia. "Arkansas Razorbacks men's basketball." Accessed October 2024. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arkansas_Razorbacks_men%27s_basketball