The Georgia Bulldogs defeated the No. 16 Alabama Crimson Tide 98-88 in Athens on Tuesday evening. The game featured a 20-minute delay due to a shot clock malfunction in the second half.

Georgia was red hot on the offensive end of the floor throughout the entire matchup. Star forward Kanon Catchings scored an extremely impressive 32 points on 12-20 shooting, as the talented sophomore recorded seven made three pointers in a career-best scoring effort. Georgia was the faster and stronger team throughout the entirety of the matchup, as the Tide were no match for the Dawgs.

Georgia improved to an overall record of 21-9 and a 9-8 record in SEC play with the win over Alabama. The Dawgs’ victory over the Tide will undoubtedly secure their ticket to the NCAA Tournament later this month, as Georgia proved to be the better team against an elite Crimson Tide group that entered the game on an eight-game winning streak.

"This win really gives us momentum," Georgia guard Smurf Millender said after the win. "We got another one Saturday against Mississippi State to finish out the regular season, but going into Sunday this is huge for our resume." 

The Dawgs will face Mississippi State on Saturday afternoon in the regular season finale, as Georgia will be one of the hottest teams in the entire SEC entering the conference tournament next week. Georgia has won four of its last five games.

How social media reacted to Georgia’s upset win over Alabama

ESPN analyst Jeff Borzello weighs in on the Dawgs' win

FINAL: Georgia 98, No. 16 Alabama 88

Georgia is going to hear its name on Selection Sunday -- Bulldogs punch their ticket with a big win over the Crimson Tide.

Kanon Catchings with a HUGE performance: 31 points, seven 3-pointers.pic.twitter.com/Ac0cu2trqJ

— Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) March 4, 2026

Georgia was almost a March Madness lock entering the Alabama game. Now, the Bulldogs should be in even if they lose to Mississippi State and in their first SEC Tournament game.

March Madness congratulates Georgia following the upset

GEORGIA DEFEATS NO. 16 ALABAMA 🙌

The Bulldogs earn a huge SEC win at home to improve to 21-9 🔥 pic.twitter.com/IRfMx6GAWb

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 4, 2026

Georgia closed out their home schedule with a record of 14-4.

How bout them Dawgs!

HOW BOUT THEM DAWGS ‼️@UGABasketball snaps No. 16 Alabama's eight game winning streak. pic.twitter.com/QOJV6IYGcf

— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) March 4, 2026

An inside look at Kanon Catchings career performance

Kanon Catchings had a career night against Alabama:

32 PTS
7 made 3s

Career highs in points and threes made. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/EufSWi6xzX

— CBB Analytics (@CBBAnalytics) March 4, 2026

Georgia's win over Alabama featured technical difficulties

The clock in Alabama-Georgia... pic.twitter.com/5Y1f6suX7Z

— Hunter De Siver (@HunterDeSiver) March 4, 2026

The technical difficulties with the shot and game clock late in the second half were tough to watch. The wait proved to be worth it for Georgia fans. However, the last seven-plus minutes of the game featured no shot clock.

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This article originally appeared on UGA Wire: Social media reacts after Georgia's upset win over No. 16 Alabama