Georgia defeated North Carolina 78-70 on Friday night at the Dean E. Smith Center, snapping the Tar Heels’ 21-game home win streak and earning the program’s first victory in Chapel Hill dating back to 1983.
The Bulldogs improved to 4-0 on the season behind 22 points and 11 rebounds from Kanon Catchings, while Blue Cain contributed 20 points and Marcus Millender added 17 to secure the road upset. North Carolina dropped to 3-1 despite 21 points from Terrence Brown, 14 points from Neo Avdalas, and 11 points from Isaiah Denis in front of a home crowd.
Georgia used a decisive 20-8 surge over the final six minutes to turn a late deficit into a victory. Catchings sank two free throws with 2:11 remaining to put the Bulldogs ahead for good at 69-68, then followed with a deep three-pointer from the left baseline to extend the lead.
Georgia has never played in the NCAA Tournament in three consecutive seasons. That could change under Mike White. Bulldogs beat UNC in Chapel Hill after back-to-back appearances in March Madness. Program is rock solid.
Although Sayon Keita answered with a dunk for the Tar Heels, Cain sealed the outcome with a three-pointer with 1:01 left. The result marked Georgia’s first win over North Carolina since an 82-77 decision in the 1983 NCAA East Regional final in Syracuse, New York.
White specifically praised Catchings for playing as hard as he had ever seen him play, alongside Cain’s rebounding and defensive deflections. The Bulldogs capitalized on controlling the glass and converting outside shots, finishing the night with 14 made three-pointers.
For the Tar Heels, the closing minutes highlighted ongoing challenges with execution and finishing around the rim. Michael Malone juggled his lineup for the closing minutes and used Maximo Adams in place of Jarin Stevenson as North Carolina attempted to find a spark. Across the first 20 minutes, the first-half sequence saw Georgia use an 11-3 run over the final 3:45 to turn a deficit into a 38-31 intermission advantage.
The Tar Heels struggled from beyond the arc throughout the evening, finishing 9-for-38 from three-point range for a 23.7 percent conversion rate. North Carolina also shot just 32.9 percent overall from the field as a team. North Carolina also fell behind on the boards, losing the rebounding battle 52-43 while surrendering 18 offensive rebounds to the visitors.
“I think we shot maybe seven or eight air balls tonight,” Malone said.
GEORGIA WINS IN CHAPEL HILL 🐶 Dawgs rain in 14 triples en route to defeating UNC ☔️ pic.twitter.com/YTEWDtd4h9
Sayon Keita, Alex Samodurov and Jarin Stevenson combined to take only one free throw during the matchup. Meanwhile, Adams pulled down 11 rebounds despite shooting 1-for-8 from the field, leading the team on the glass.
Isaiah Denis said that when the team went into halftime trailing by seven, Coach Malone told them they were going to win the game on defense.
North Carolina briefly seized momentum after halftime by outscoring Georgia 17-7 in the opening five and a half minutes to claim a 48-45 lead. Brown converted a three-point play, buried a three-pointer, and watched Stevenson add a dunk during that surge. The Tar Heels later extended that margin to 60-51 before the Bulldogs reeled them back in.
Mike White said that the team had to continue to get better and that the senior guards had made huge shots down the stretch.
On the other side, Brown emphasized the defensive lapses that enabled Georgia’s second-chance opportunities.
North Carolina will have a week off before returning to the Smith Center to host Marshall on November 20, followed by a quick turnaround to face King Rice and Monmouth on November 23.
