March 3, 2026; Athens, Georgia, USA; Georgia Bulldogs coach Mike White is seen on the sideline during the game against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Stegeman Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Image Canon Catchings led five players in double figures with 23 points as Georgia earned a 102-96 Southeastern Conference win Saturday afternoon in Starkville, Mississippi.
The Bulldogs rallied from a five-point halftime deficit and overcame a 42-point explosion by Mississippi State’s Josh Hubbard to earn their fifth win in six games, drilling 17 of their 29 3-point attempts for the game.
Marcus Millender had 18 points and Blue Cain and Jeremiah Wilkinson added 15 apiece as Georgia (22-9, 10-8) fills its NCAA Tournament restart and will likely avoid first-round SEC Tournament play.
Hubbard poured in 26 of his 42 points after halftime, going 16 of 27 from the field and 7 of 15 from 3-point range for Mississippi State (13-18, 5-13). The state has lost five in a row and clinched a No. 13 seed in next week’s SEC Tournament. Ja’Borri McGhee scored 20 points and Jayden Epps added 13.
Mississippi State shot 73.1% (19 of 26) in the first half to take a 47-42 lead. Georgia took the lead with 15:06 to play after Catchings hit back-to-back 3-pointers, but the visitors couldn’t pull away.
Mississippi State went up 65-62 on a Hubbard 3-pointer with 9:33 to play, but four 3-pointers in 3:12 by four Georgia players (Catchings, Cain, Kareem Stagg and Millender) allowed Georgia to take an 84-71 advantage with 6:10 to play. The Catchings scored 18 of their 23 points after halftime.
Hubbard’s layup with 19 seconds left got the hosts within four, but Millender gave Georgia the win with a pair of free throws.
The Bulldogs’ 17 3-pointers were their second-highest total this season and their 58.6 percent accuracy was their best of the year. It was the second time this year that UGA reached 100 points in an SEC game, the other being a 104-100 win over Auburn in overtime.
–Field level media
