ATHENS, Ga. (Interstat) — Georgia outlasted Alabama 98-88 in a Southeastern Conference men’s basketball game Tuesday night at Stegeman Coliseum.

The Bulldogs used a strong first half, taking a 50-43 lead into halftime, and maintained that advantage despite the Crimson Tide’s 45-point second-half effort. A crowd of 10,523 watched Georgia improve to 21-9 overall, while Alabama fell to 22-8.

Georgia’s Kanon Catchings led all scorers with 32 points. Labaron Philon paced Alabama with 26 points. The result was an upset according to pregame projections, as Georgia entered as a narrow betting favorite despite statistical models heavily favoring Alabama. The combined score fell under the betting total.