Georgia and Tennessee Need Overtime To Settle Basketball Battle, Vols Win

Jan 28, 2026; Athens, Georgia, USA; Georgia Bulldogs forward Kareem Stagg (1) grabs a rebound over Tennessee Volunteers forward Jaylen Carey (23) during the first half at Stegeman Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

The Georgia Bulldogs' SEC conference slate is well underway, as the Bulldogs welcomed the Tennessee Volunteers on Wednesday night. The Bulldogs lost in overtime to the Vols 86 to 85.  

The Georgia Bulldogs basketball team entered their Wednesday night matchup against the Tennessee Volunteers with a (16-4) record, holding a (4-3) record in the conference. 

Georgia, fresh off one of its worst losses of the season at the hands of the Texas Longhorns, fought for forty minutes of regulation and some, as they went into overtime against the Vols on Wednesday. 

It was a back-and-forth basketball game for the majority of the first half, with plenty of lead changes until Georgia forward Kanon Catchings began to heat up from three. Catchings had four three-pointers in the first half, scoring 14 points and putting the Bulldogs up at the half. Catchings would finish the game with 22 points, a season-high. 

It was the Bulldogs' defense, however, that was stellar in the first half. At one point, the Vols were held scoreless for over two and a half minutes of gametime. Georgia would go into the half up 34 to 28 thanks to a buzzer-beater from Smurf Millender. 

Jan 28, 2026; Athens, Georgia, USA; Tennessee Volunteers center Felix Okpara (34) controls the ball behind Georgia Bulldogs forward Justin Abson (25) during the first half at Stegeman Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

As the second half began, the tight-knit affair continued, with the two teams trading baskets. Georgia maintained their halftime until the Vols went on a stretch, making five of six field goals, tying the game at 45 a piece, before Jake Wilkins hit a three-pointer to give Georgia the lead again, 48-4,5 with 13:40 left in the contest. 

With 6:48 left in the contest, the Vols extended their largest lead of the game after another three-pointer from Boswell. The Vols would go up 66 to 61 and wouldn’t relinquish the lead until the final 10 seconds of the game when Smurf Millender tied the game on a layup with 3.6 seconds left. We went into overtime with the game tied 74-74. 

The overtime period started with Tennessee making its first three field goals while Georgia experienced a shooting lull. It was multiple buckets by Smurf Millender and some help from Kanon Catchings that got Georgia within two points of the lead with under a minute left. After a missed free-throw, the Bulldogs got the ball back down three points with 15.7 seconds remaining.  

On the ensuing possession, Smurf Millender makes a mental mistake and shoots a layup down three. With 0.6 seconds left on the game clock, the Bulldogs lose, 86-85. 

The Bulldogs will be at home again Saturday as they host the SEC leader in Texas A&M, who enters the contest with a (6-1) record in conference play.