Georgia men’s basketball outlasts North Carolina in 78-70 upset victory

Georgia men’s basketball defeated North Carolina 78-70 Friday in a back-and-forth battle that featured 13 lead changes.

The Details

The Tar Heels led by as many as nine points, but the Bulldogs finished the game on a 10-2 run and ultimately used clutch late-game shooting to prevail in an early-season statement win for head coach Mike White that kept the team unbeaten.

Georgia’s victory snapped North Carolina’s 21 game home winning streak and marked the Bulldogs’ first ever win at Chapel Hill.

The victory would not have been possible without standout performances from Kanon Catchings, Marcus “Smurf” Millender and Blue Cain.

Catchings made his presence felt all throughout the box score, leading Georgia with 22 points, 11 rebounds, three assists and three steals. His biggest moment of the game came with just under two minutes remaining when he sank a three-pointer to give the Bulldogs a four-point lead.

Alongside Catchings, Cain had 20 points and seven rebounds while Millender had 17 points and seven rebounds.

Georgia led 38-31 at the end of the first half, largely thanks to a 9-0 run to end the first 20 minutes of play. Georgia held the Tar Heels to 25% shooting in the first half, the third-worst shooting half by North Carolina in Smith Center history.

The second half continued its back-and-forth nature, with the Tar Heels building a 60-51 lead with just over 10 minutes remaining in the game.

North Carolina was led by Terrance Brown, who tied his season-high with 21 points and Neo Avdalas who had 11 second-half points and finished with 14.

As a team, the Bulldogs shot 38.6% from the field, compared to the Tar Heels’ 32.9%. Georgia saw a real advantage on the boards as they outrebounded North Carolina 52-43, including grabbing 18 offensive rebounds.

Georgia will return to action on Monday as Jacksonville, a program the Bulldogs are 12-0 against, travels to Athens.