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Mar 20, 2026
JWS Staff
High Point basketball earned the highest seed in program history this year, as the No. 15 seed prepare to face No. 2 seed Vanderbilt in the first round of Women’s March Madness.
“My initial thought was I’m happy we weren’t a 16-seed,” second-year head coach Chelsea Banbury said ahead of this week’s NCAA basketball tournament.
“I think we put together a good non-conference showing this year. Our goal every year is to move up in the NCAA Tournament and put ourselves in as good of a position to win a game.”
High Point basketball claimed its second consecutive Big South Conference title under Banbury earlier this month. The Panthers previously won six Big South regular-season titles, in addition to its three overall conference tournament victories.
This marks High Point’s third Women’s March Madness appearance and Banbury’s second as head coach. Last year, the Panthers played as a No. 16 seed against William & Mary in 2025 First Four.
The No. 15 seed represents a significant step up for the North Carolina-based program heading into March Madness, with Banbury noting the Panthers won’t travel far to face Vanderbilt. The Commodores are set to host the first-round matchup on its home court, giving the Nashville team a significant advantage.
“Obviously, they’re a good team, but we’ll have a game plan, we’ll be ready,” Banbury said.
The winner advances to face either the No. 7 or No. 10 seed in the NCAA tournament’s second round.
The Panthers take on Vanderbilt on Saturday at 7 PM ET, live on ESPNEWS.
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