Georgia Bulldogs Offense Shines in 98-88 Upset Win Over No. 16 Alabama

In a game that showcased plenty of offense and not a lot of defense, the Georgia Bulldogs edged out the 16th-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide in a high-scoring shootout in Athens on Tuesday night.

Kanon Catchings Catches Fire to Lift Georgia to Win

Sometimes, when a game is as high-octane on offense as this one, one player’s performance can shift the momentum for one side, and tonight’s performance by Bulldog’s star forward Kanon Catchings was evidence of that sentiment. Catchings dropped a game-high 32 points on an impeccable 12-for-20 shooting from the floor. The Indiana native also accounted for half of the Bulldogs’ 13 total three-pointers made in the game, as he sank 7 triples in the win.

While Catchings was the star of the show for Georgia, the Bulldogs’ offense was hitting on all cylinders tonight. Georgia would shoot an impressive 53% from the field and also dominated in the paint as they doubled up the Crimson Tide with 40 points from the painted area. Those paint points would prove to be the difference in the game, as it allowed the Bulldogs to open up more quality shots from the perimeter in the game.

Although the Bulldogs were overly reliant on their starting five for offensive production tonight, every starter had a quality outing in the game to make up for a lack of bench support. The two biggest x-factors outside of Catchings for Georgia were both Marcus Millender, and Blue Cain. Millender would post a solid stat line of 12 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists, while Cain would serve as the second leading scorer with 16 points in the win.

Crimson Tide Defense Continues to Struggle in Another Bad Loss

Whenever the Crimson Tide are coming off a huge win this season, you can always count on them to fall flat the very next game, and tonight’s game was no different. Besides the poor defense put on by Alabama in the loss, the Crimson Tide played a very one-dimensional game on offense as well. The vast majority of Alabama’s shot attempts on offense would come from beyond the arc, as they attempted 42 threes in the loss.

The Crimson Tide offense was also solely reliant on the stellar play of Labaron Philon Jr., who once again put forth a valiant effort for Alabama. Philon Jr. would score a team-high 26 points as his scoring was a key reason that the Crimson Tide still possessed a chance to win the game late in the second half. That 26-point outing marked the third time over the past four games that Philon Jr. has scored over 20 points.

The Crimson Tide also got another great outing from Latrell Wrightsell Jr., who continued to add on to his recent hot streak in the loss. Wrightsell Jr. would score 19 points and grab 5 rebounds for Alabama tonight. The Nebraska native is having his best season in his senior campaign, as he’s averaging a career-high 13 points to emerge as a valuable secondary scoring option for the Crimson Tide this year.

Georgia Further Cements NCAA Tournament Hopes

Coming into tonight’s game against Alabama, the Bulldogs odds of making the NCAA tournament were fairly solid, with many outlets projecting Georgia between a number 11 and number 10 seed in the tournament. Much of that reason was the Bulldogs’ quality wins over teams like Kentucky and South Carolina, which rank as a quad 1 and quad 2 win on their resume.

Following their win over Alabama tonight, the Bulldogs got a bit of a boost to their seeding heading into their final game of the season, as they’re now projected to secure a number 9 seed. Regardless of how Georgia’s final game against Mississippi State on Saturday goes and their finish in the SEC tournament, Bulldogs fans can call this season a successful one with the NCAA tournament appearance secured.