Georgia
ATHENS, Ga. (11/01/2026) — The Georgia Bulldogs pulled away with a dominant first-half run and never looked back, defeating the North Carolina Central Eagles 78-62 on Sunday at Stegeman Coliseum. Kanon Catchings scored a team-high 16 points as Georgia overcame a hot-shooting start by the Eagles to take control before halftime.
How It Happened
The early minutes belonged to nobody. The teams traded the lead five times in the opening stretch, with Blue Cain opening the scoring on a layup off a James Scott assist at 19:37, only for Cristian Sanon to answer with a 24-foot three-pointer that put North Carolina Central up 3-2. Sanon kept the Eagles ahead almost single-handedly in the first half, burying threes at 15:20 and 13:49 — the latter giving North Carolina Central a 13-10 lead with the Eagles connecting from deep at a 47 percent clip for the game.
Georgia answered immediately. Mading Kuany knocked down a 23-foot three off a Cain assist at 12:38 to put the Bulldogs back in front 15-13, and they never trailed again. The Bulldogs then unleashed their biggest run of the night, a 13-0 burst that transformed a 25-19 edge into a 36-22 cushion. Catchings sparked it with a 25-foot three at 7:09 to make it 30-19, and Marcus Millender followed with a 24-footer off a Donovan Williams Jr. assist at 6:31 that stretched the margin to 33-19.
Brady Dunlap added a 25-foot three with 2:07 left in the half, and James Scott punctuated the period with a dunk off a Dunlap feed in the final 30 seconds. Trey Brown's driving layup at the buzzer sent the teams to the break with Georgia leading 41-28.
The Eagles refused to fold in the second half. Sanon's 26-foot step-back three at 7:17 cut the deficit to 61-50, and Jozohn Price hit a pair of late threes — including a 26-footer at 3:08 that trimmed it to 68-57. But Georgia had answers every time. Williams threw down a dunk off a Millender assist at 5:45 to push the lead to 16, and Catchings slammed home another Millender feed at 2:40 to make it 72-57. Dunlap's free throw with 46 seconds left closed out the 78-62 final.
Turning Point
The 13-0 run midway through the first half decided this one. North Carolina Central was within 25-19 and shooting the ball well from the perimeter, but the back-to-back threes from Catchings and Millender blew the game open in a span of 38 seconds. The Eagles never got the margin back to single digits after halftime, and Georgia's halfcourt execution — 13 assists against just 11 turnovers — kept the lead comfortable down the stretch.
Ball security told the rest of the story. North Carolina Central committed 19 turnovers to Georgia's 11, undercutting an otherwise efficient offensive night from deep. The Bulldogs shot 44 percent from the field to the Eagles' 38 percent and edged them on the glass 37-36.
Star of the Game
Catchings earned the honor with 16 points, three rebounds and an assist, delivering timely baskets in both halves — two deep three-pointers in the first half and the emphatic late dunk that sealed it. Cain was right behind him with 15 points and six rebounds, while Millender filled the stat sheet with 12 points and a game-high four assists, three of which set up momentum-swinging buckets.
For North Carolina Central, Sanon was outstanding in defeat, scoring a game-high 19 points with six rebounds on five three-pointers. Trey Brown added 10 points and nine rebounds, and Maurice Vassel chipped in 10 points.
What It Means
Georgia protected its home floor with a balanced effort — four Bulldogs scored nine or more points, and the offense generated quality looks all night through ball movement. The 23 percent three-point shooting leaves room to grow, but winning comfortably without a hot perimeter night speaks to the depth of scoring options at the Bulldogs' disposal.
North Carolina Central leaves Athens with encouraging perimeter shooting at 47 percent from three, but the 19 turnovers against Georgia's pressure proved too much to overcome. Sanon's shot-making gives the Eagles a clear offensive anchor as their season continues.
