High Point University’s guard Chase Johnston delivered one of the first big moments of March Madness on Thursday night, scoring the go-ahead basket with 11.7 seconds left to lift the Panthers to an 83-82 upset over Wisconsin. It was the program’s first NCAA tournament win, and the shot was especially unexpected because it was Johnston’s first 2-point basket of the season.
“I wasn’t really thinking whether it was a 2 or a 3, I was just trying to put it in and win the game,” Johnston told reporters after the win.
After the game, Johnston also made it clear where he wanted his newfound attention to go.
“First and foremost, I want to give all glory to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ,” he said. “It’s been an unbelievable season. This is a group of guys that’s built on John 15:13. We serve each other, we love each other, and we’d die for each other. I’m so grateful.”
Johnston has been just as direct about the meaning behind the No. 99 on his jersey.
In an earlier interview shared this week, Johnston explained, “The backstory has everything to do with Jesus leaving the 99 to find the one. I was trying to find any way to share The Gospel.
“[Jesus] finds more joy in finding that one lost sheep that came back home than the ninety-nine that remained righteous,” he continued. “That’s The Gospel right there.”
The number is a reference to the parable of the lost sheep in Luke 15 and Matthew 18, and Johnston has said he chose it because it opens the door for conversations about faith.
On a night when he became one of the breakout names of the tournament, that message certainly reached a much bigger audience.
Comentarios