Georgia walked into Chapel Hill and walked out with a piece of program history.
Behind 22 points and a career-high 11 rebounds from Kanon Catchings, the Bulldogs stunned North Carolina 78-70 on Friday night at the Dean E. Smith Center, rallying late to finish off a win that snapped the Tar Heels’ four-game edge in the series.
Georgia, now 4-0, didn’t just beat North Carolina. It erased a long drought. The Bulldogs earned their first victory over the Tar Heels since the 82-77 win in the 1983 NCAA East Regional final in Syracuse, N.Y., and their first in nine trips to Chapel Hill dating back to 1918.
The game turned in two separate bursts. Georgia closed the first half with an 11-3 run over the final 3:45, flipping a 28-27 deficit into a 38-31 lead at the break. Then, after North Carolina surged to a 60-51 advantage with 10:35 left, the Bulldogs answered with a 27-20 finish to steal it back.
Catchings set a season high with his 22 points, topping the 16 he had against North Carolina Central. It was his fourth straight game in double figures, his 31st career double-digit scoring effort and his eighth game of 20 points or more.
Blue Cain gave Georgia another major lift, scoring 20 points for the fourth straight game. It was his sixth career 20-point performance and his 49th time reaching double figures.
Georgia head coach Mike White pointed to the way his team handled the pressure late.
"The execution down the stretch, I thought we looked really connected. Up seven and a half, just get punched in the mouth early and often there in the second half, where we could have looked deer in headlights.
The place got really, really loud, and boom, we just kept making plays. That's part of being a little bit older.
James [Scott] is a senior and we have got a couple senior guards that made huge shots down the stretch. So, hopefully that means more of that to come.
We have got to continue to get better, this is game four."
White also praised the effort from Catchings and Cain, along with the little things that helped Georgia survive the Tar Heels’ push.
"Enormous. Kanon played as hard as I've ever seen him play.
Rebounded it, Blue rebounded it, scrappy, getting deflections. We got to the floor for some loose balls, so just probably overall character.
It's nice to, again, be a little bit older and have a little bit of winning experience as well. I can't say enough about James Scott's performance, in terms of the stuff that doesn't show up.
The loose balls, the drawing of fouls, the way he passed it. Our bench will be better than that in certain games, but when you don't have nine or ten that play really well and you can win at Carolina, you're doing some good things."
In Other News...
Georgia Suddenly Has A Real Offensive Line Decision Before Missouri
Georgias offensive front is suddenly in flux heading into Missouri, with starting center Drew Bobo downgraded to doubtful. That leaves Georgia weighing a few different options in the middle of the line, including Cortez Smith or Malachi Toliver, or shifting Helton over to center and making other adjustments around him.
For a team that likes to keep its protection and run-game structure as steady as possible, the timing is less than ideal. Georgia also listed Joshua Horton as questionable and Amaris Williams as out, so the Bulldogs may have to sort through multiple personnel issues at once before they take the field. [Read more 🡒]
Georgia Community Mourning After Tragic Loss Of Bulldogs Commit
The Georgia football community is mourning the death of Marcellus Young Casario, a defensive lineman at Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School who had already committed to play for the Bulldogs. His commitment in June marked him as one of the programs promising future additions, and the news of his death following a medical emergency has sent a wave of grief through the school and the broader fan base.
Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School confirmed the incident and said emergency protocols were followed, while support has been made available to students and staff in the aftermath. For Georgia, it is a sobering reminder that recruiting news can give way to something far more painful, leaving the program and its supporters to absorb the loss of a player they expected to see in red and black. [Read more 🡒]
Georgia Has One Lingering Injury Concern Before The Next Game
Georgias injury report ahead of the next game leaves at least one spot worth watching, with Drew Bobo listed as doubtful and Josh Horton still questionable. For a team trying to keep its footing in the stretch run, those designations matter because they can affect both depth and game-day flexibility, especially when the Bulldogs are already preparing for another SEC test.
The broader league picture added a little more uncertainty this week, too, after Ole Miss and Oklahoma had their game delayed because weather created travel problems and forced the SEC to announce a schedule change. Georgia is not directly involved in that matchup, but any shift in the conference calendar is a reminder of how quickly the rhythm of a season can change, and why the Bulldogs will be keeping close tabs on their own availability as kickoff approaches. [Read more 🡒]