University of Georgia Athletics
Bulldogs Answer Big Arkansas Surge In Win
January 17, 2026 | Men's Basketball, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
Can it be a comeback win if you scored the first 11 points of the game, led by 13 at halftime, and never trailed? Regardless, it sure felt like the No. 21-ranked Georgia men's basketball team's 90-76 win Saturday over No. 17 Arkansas was more of a rally than a wire-to-wire victory.
The Bulldogs led 55-36 with 16:31 to play in the game after freshman Kanon Catchings hit a 3-pointer from the right corner, and it seemed like a Georgia rout was possible. The Razorbacks made sure it wasn't.
Arkansas began chipping away at Georgia's lead with an 11-0 run, but then the Razorbacks took a sledgehammer to it, turning their surge into a 20-3 run that cut the Bulldog lead to 62-61 with 8:27 left in the game. Georgia (15-3, 3-2 SEC) has let a few leads slip away this season, whether it was in its overtime win over Auburn on Jan. 3 or in Wednesday's overtime loss to Ole Miss, so potential trouble was lurking.
"I thought we just played really hard," Georgia head coach Mike White said. "Really responded well to a big Arkansas run there mid-second half, settled in a little bit offensively, changed up a little bit defensively ... and then did enough down the stretch. ... Took a step in the right direction today, and I'm really proud of our guys."
Junior guard Blue Cain was one of the Bulldogs who helped Georgia avoid a collapse. His drive down the lane for a layup pushed the lead back to 64-61. Later, after two Arkansas free throws, senior forward Justin Abson grabbed an offensive rebound and fed Cain for another layup.
Arkansas (13-5, 3-2) finally tied the game at 68 with 6:43 to go, and then again at 70-all with 5:52 remaining. After that, it was the Bulldogs who surged. Over the final 5:26, the Bulldogs outscored the Hogs 20-6.
Cain put Georgia up for good with a drive up the right side of the lane, laying the ball in for a 72-70 lead. Sophomore guard Jeremiah Wilkinson followed that with a steal and then a long 3 from the left wing. Later, a block by sophomore center Somto Cyril denied the Hogs at one end, and at the other, Catchings rebounded a Cain miss, and Wilkinson put Georgia up 78-70 with another 3.
Another Cain layup — he scored 10 of his 18 points in the final 8:08 — pushed Georgia's lead back to double digits, 80-70. Two Arkansas free throws made it an eight-point game, but the Hogs' next possession ended in Cyril's seventh blocked shot of the game, a new career high. That was followed by two swished free throws by Marcus "Smurf" Millender and then two more by Catchings. Wilkinson, Millender and junior guard Jordan Ross all went 2-for-2 from the line in the final 46 seconds to turn a game that was well in hand, then getting away from them, into a win going away.
Georgia finished the game hitting seven of its final nine field-goal attempts, and then closed it out at the free-throw line, while the Razorbacks made just one of their final 12 shots from the floor. Wilkinson led the Bulldogs with 20 points, hitting four 3s, and had four of the Bulldogs' 12 steals. Cain, who struggled against Ole Miss, missing all seven of his field-goal attempts, went 8-for-12 with a pair of 3s Saturday, and also had three rebounds, three assists, and two steals.
"He just told me he just believed in me," Cain said of Coach White's message to him after the Ole Miss game. "Obviously, I had a tough night, been struggling a little bit, but he told me he believed in me, the team believed in me. I had a bunch of guys on the team come and tell me just keep going, it's going to balance out. Everybody was just telling me they believed in me."
And for good reason. This was Cain's 16th game this season with at least 11 points, and he's second on the team in scoring with 14.3 points per game. He's also second on the team with 31 steals.
Two freshmen, Catchings and Jake Wilkins, were pivotal, as well. Catchings hit three 3s and scored 15 points, while also dishing out five assists and snatching three steals, both career highs. Wilkins, a forward, played a big role in helping the Bulldogs get out to a double-digit lead in the first half, scoring all 11 of his points in the first period.
"He comes to compete every day. comes to work, and he was ready to have a good game today," White said of Wilkins, who hadn't scored in double figures since scoring 14 against Florida A&M on Nov. 17.
The Bulldogs are back in action Tuesday at Missouri.
Staff Writer
Can it be a comeback win if you scored the first 11 points of the game, led by 13 at halftime, and never trailed? Regardless, it sure felt like the No. 21-ranked Georgia men's basketball team's 90-76 win Saturday over No. 17 Arkansas was more of a rally than a wire-to-wire victory.
The Bulldogs led 55-36 with 16:31 to play in the game after freshman Kanon Catchings hit a 3-pointer from the right corner, and it seemed like a Georgia rout was possible. The Razorbacks made sure it wasn't.
Arkansas began chipping away at Georgia's lead with an 11-0 run, but then the Razorbacks took a sledgehammer to it, turning their surge into a 20-3 run that cut the Bulldog lead to 62-61 with 8:27 left in the game. Georgia (15-3, 3-2 SEC) has let a few leads slip away this season, whether it was in its overtime win over Auburn on Jan. 3 or in Wednesday's overtime loss to Ole Miss, so potential trouble was lurking.
"I thought we just played really hard," Georgia head coach Mike White said. "Really responded well to a big Arkansas run there mid-second half, settled in a little bit offensively, changed up a little bit defensively ... and then did enough down the stretch. ... Took a step in the right direction today, and I'm really proud of our guys."
Junior guard Blue Cain was one of the Bulldogs who helped Georgia avoid a collapse. His drive down the lane for a layup pushed the lead back to 64-61. Later, after two Arkansas free throws, senior forward Justin Abson grabbed an offensive rebound and fed Cain for another layup.
Arkansas (13-5, 3-2) finally tied the game at 68 with 6:43 to go, and then again at 70-all with 5:52 remaining. After that, it was the Bulldogs who surged. Over the final 5:26, the Bulldogs outscored the Hogs 20-6.
Cain put Georgia up for good with a drive up the right side of the lane, laying the ball in for a 72-70 lead. Sophomore guard Jeremiah Wilkinson followed that with a steal and then a long 3 from the left wing. Later, a block by sophomore center Somto Cyril denied the Hogs at one end, and at the other, Catchings rebounded a Cain miss, and Wilkinson put Georgia up 78-70 with another 3.
Another Cain layup — he scored 10 of his 18 points in the final 8:08 — pushed Georgia's lead back to double digits, 80-70. Two Arkansas free throws made it an eight-point game, but the Hogs' next possession ended in Cyril's seventh blocked shot of the game, a new career high. That was followed by two swished free throws by Marcus "Smurf" Millender and then two more by Catchings. Wilkinson, Millender and junior guard Jordan Ross all went 2-for-2 from the line in the final 46 seconds to turn a game that was well in hand, then getting away from them, into a win going away.
Georgia finished the game hitting seven of its final nine field-goal attempts, and then closed it out at the free-throw line, while the Razorbacks made just one of their final 12 shots from the floor. Wilkinson led the Bulldogs with 20 points, hitting four 3s, and had four of the Bulldogs' 12 steals. Cain, who struggled against Ole Miss, missing all seven of his field-goal attempts, went 8-for-12 with a pair of 3s Saturday, and also had three rebounds, three assists, and two steals.
"He just told me he just believed in me," Cain said of Coach White's message to him after the Ole Miss game. "Obviously, I had a tough night, been struggling a little bit, but he told me he believed in me, the team believed in me. I had a bunch of guys on the team come and tell me just keep going, it's going to balance out. Everybody was just telling me they believed in me."
And for good reason. This was Cain's 16th game this season with at least 11 points, and he's second on the team in scoring with 14.3 points per game. He's also second on the team with 31 steals.
Two freshmen, Catchings and Jake Wilkins, were pivotal, as well. Catchings hit three 3s and scored 15 points, while also dishing out five assists and snatching three steals, both career highs. Wilkins, a forward, played a big role in helping the Bulldogs get out to a double-digit lead in the first half, scoring all 11 of his points in the first period.
"He comes to compete every day. comes to work, and he was ready to have a good game today," White said of Wilkins, who hadn't scored in double figures since scoring 14 against Florida A&M on Nov. 17.
The Bulldogs are back in action Tuesday at Missouri.
Assistant Sports Communications Director John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files.
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