By Mallory Mattingly
In the ups and the downs, High Point men’s basketball guard Chase Johnston wants to glorify God.
The athlete had not hit a two-point shot all year, but that all changed last Thursday when No. 12 High Point faced the No. 5 Wisconsin Badgers, which ended up being a point-for-point game the entire night.
In the final seconds of the game, Johnston raced down the court. With no one in front of him, the ball was thrown to him, and he made the game-winning lay-up to secure the win for High Point and send them into the second round of the playoffs.
After the game, the entire stadium went nuts. When asked what it felt like, Johnston could only give all the glory and honor to God.
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“It felt great. First and foremost, I just want to give all glory to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ,” he told CBS Sports with his teammates throwing towels on his head. “It’s been an unbelievable season, testing a group of guys has built off John 15:13, we serve each other, we love each other and we die for each other. I’m so grateful. Thank you so much.”
When Johnston arrived at High Point, he got to choose his own number, an opportunity not many players get. When choosing his number, he wanted something that pointed people back to the Gospel.
“I was trying to find any other way to share the gospel and 99 came to my mind. There are two parables in the Bible where Jesus is talking to his disciples and he gives a story of a man who has 99 sheep and he leaves them to find the one lost sheep,” Johnston said in a post shared by High Point basketball.
Johnston is part of the organization “His Athletes,” which shares encouraging messages to help college athletes remain focused on Christ.
“We are called to be set apart, to pursue holiness, just like Jesus commanded us to go out and be the salt of the earth and the light of the world,” he said in one post. “As student-athletes, we have a special chance to live out our faith in the middle of both opportunities and challenges. Temptations will always be there, but God calls us to stay strong, live differently, and show His light wherever we are. When we choose to follow Him instead of giving in, we grow in our faith and point others to Jesus.”
We applaud Johnston for his epic two-pointer and especially his faith in Christ.
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