Your Georgetown Hoyas went into a hostile XFINITY Center on Friday and secured a signature 70-60 victory over the Maryland Terrapins. This wasn’t just any win; it was a statement built on suffocating defense and newfound maturity. Hoyas fans have been waiting for a performance like this, one that shows the gritty identity Ed Cooley is instilling in his third year. The Hoyas improve to 2-0, but this one felt different. It was a road test, a renewed rivalry, and a major step forward. Pragmatism can wait. Today is a day for unbridled optimism.
The story of the night was the defense. Georgetown held Maryland to a stunning 25% shooting from the field on just 13 made baskets. The Terps were forced to live at the free-throw line, while the Hoyas blocked 11 shots and dominated the paint (30-16 points in the paint).
Advertisement
When asked what allowed the Hoyas to choke off the lane, Coach Cooley’s answer was direct: “A will and a want.”
“I thought our defense was elite. I thought our ball pressure was elite,” Cooley said in the post-game press conference. “I thought we were very, very disruptive… When you’re connected and you have a belief and there’s total buy-in, anything’s possible.”
That defensive intensity was clear from the jump. The Hoyas opened the game on an 11-0 run, immediately silencing the College Park crowd.
Maryland, as expected, did not go quietly. After Georgetown used a 14-2 run to open the second half (sparked by two Malik Mack threes) and build a 20-point lead, the Terps clawed back.
Advertisement
They cut the lead all the way down to seven, 61-54, and the building was electric. But this Hoya team didn’t fold.
DMV-native Malik Mack (19 points, 8 rebounds) calmly stepped up and drilled a clutch 3-pointer, pushing the lead back to 10 and sealing the game.
“The crowd started getting loud,” Mack said. “It was just a scramble… and I was open. So, if I’m open, I feel like I’m going to take the shot and and I’m confident in all the shots I take.”
While Mack hit the dagger, Coach Cooley named another local product as his standout.
“I thought the player of the game today was Caleb,” Cooley said of sophomore Caleb Williams, who finished with a 14-point, 10-rebound double-double. “His growth is very, very important.”
Advertisement
Williams battled foul trouble in the first half but adjusted. “I got a lot of dumb fouls in the first half,” Williams admitted. “So, just eliminating those dumb fouls so that… I can do that without having to worry about the foul trouble.”
For Mack, who grew up watching this matchup, the win was personal. “It means a lot,” he said. “I grew up a Georgetown fan… to get one back for Georgetown feel really good.”
Many of the Georgetown faithful have said this rivalry needed to return. Coach Cooley agreed, noting he and Maryland’s Kevin Willard spoke last year about “trying to reunite this game because we think it’s really good for our region.”
Advertisement
This victory wasn’t just about regional pride; it was proof of the program’s growth on a national stage. Cooley credited a tough preseason schedule for hardening his team.
“Putting our guys in a hostile situation at Kentucky, at GW, and the Global Games really prepared us for this,” Cooley said. “I don’t think we were shaken at all. I thought we had a really mature group.”
It’s a long season, but a 2-0 start with a tough road win at Maryland has the Hoya faithful feeling justifiably optimistic.
Georgetown, with its length and early signs of cohesiveness, appears to have an early edge here. Let’s hope they keep it rolling.
Advertisement
Here are the links:
Georgetown Stifles Maryland 70-60 in College Park | GUHOYAS
“I thought it was a really aggressive game. I thought both teams were very physical, both defensive-minded. The energy in here was outstanding. I’m really excited about this game. So, you know, hopefully we can continue this series. I’m excited to have this game next year at Capital One Arena.
I thought our men were prepared from jump, you know, our preparation, I thought leading up to the game was spectacular. I thought our players were very, very mature. Going back to how we got to this point, putting our guys in a hostile situation at Kentucky, at GW, and the GLOBL JAM really prepared us for this. It gave us some chemistry, some unison, and even though we got in foul trouble, a little banged up, I was really proud of our cohesive unit.
They got it to six or seven, and I think we matched with back-to-back baskets. It got and I don’t think we were shaken at all. I thought we had a really mature group, the two guys at the dais with us. I thought they were outstanding the whole game. I thought the player of the game today was Caleb, really, really happy for his growth and for us to be a competitive team. His growth is very, very important. Very, very important.”
– Head Coach Ed Cooley on the game
Maryland Rallies Late, But Falls To Georgetown 70-60 In Home Opener | UMTERPS
The Terps rallied late, but lost 70-60 to Georgetown in their home opener at the XFINITY Center on Friday night before 16,594 fans. Pharrel Payne led the Terps with a double-double on 17 points and 11 rebounds. Myles Rice finished in double figures (19 points, seven rebound), while David Coit tallied 10 points against Georgetown (2-0), but the Hoyas pulled away in the second half to hand Maryland (1-1) its first loss of the season.
Maryland’s defense didn’t allow a Georgetown field goal in the final eight minutes of a physical first half and held the Hoyas 0/8 from three-point range over the first 20 minutes of action. The Terps took advantage of their chances from the stripe in the first half, hitting 15 of their 30 total free throws in the opening frame.
Maryland men’s basketball falls flat against Georgetown in 70-60 home-opener loss | TESTUDOTIMES
The Terps’ offense was abysmal all game long, shooting 13-of-52 from the field and 4-of-21 from 3-point range en route to a disheartening 70-60 loss to the Hoyas. It’s the first time Maryland has lost a home opener since 1976. Georgetown only led by five points at halftime, with Maryland taking advantage of repeated trips to the free-throw line.
But back-to-back 3-pointers by Malik Mack to begin the second half kicked off an 18-3 Hoyas run that Maryland failed to crawl back from. The Terps did not have a single lead Friday night. Georgetown led by as many as 20 points in the second half.
Takeaways from Maryland men’s basketball’s 70-60 loss to Georgetown – WMUC Sports | WMUCSPORTS.NET
In the first four minutes of each half, the Hoyas outscored Maryland, 23-6. The Terps were susceptible to turnovers, bad shots and poor defensive execution. These stretches gave the Hoyas enough cushion to win the game. The Terps never held a lead and despite cutting the deficit close on multiple occasions, the first impression of each half put the Terps in too deep of a hole.
“We made it tough for ourselves in the first half, on our rebounding, not really guarding the ball well, guarding fouling, getting into the line,” Coit said. “So I would say a lot of things accumulated to that. But overall, it was on us for sure.”
Maryland’s Myles Rice throws shoe in attempt to get a steal vs Georgetown | USATODAY
Rice can be seen lurking at the top of the frame with his shoe locked and loaded before he tries to strike from the grass. Weirdly, the referees decided to swallow the whistle on the play.
While throwing a shoe is not explicitly forbidden in the rulebook — probably because the writers asked each other “why would this situation ever happen?” — it is generally considered to be an unsportsmanlike play and a technical foul on the perpetrator
Maryland men’s basketball’s offense shut down in 70-60 loss to Georgetown | DBKNEWS
Fueled by its press and uncontested transition looks, Georgetown (2-0) jumped out to an 11-0 advantage. The Hoyas drew three fouls and forced three Maryland turnovers during that stretch. The Terps were held to just 27 first-half points, a dramatic dropoff from their 40-point average that ranked eighth in the nation under Kevin Willard last season.
Georgetown transfer DeShawn Harris-Smith returned to College Park after playing for Maryland for two seasons. The 6-foot-5 guard, met with choruses of boos after checking and touching the ball, made life hard for Maryland’s guards along the perimeter.
Maryland men’s basketball stumbles in 70-60 loss to rival Georgetown | BALTIMORESUN
Junior point guard Malik Mack led the team with 19 points and added six rebounds and two steals. Junior shooting guard KJ Lewis, an Arizona transfer, racked up 15 points, nine rebounds and three assists, while sophomore small forward Caleb Williams compiled 12 points and 10 rebounds. Williams credited the Hoyas with being aggressive early.
“I thought they were physical from start to finish,” he said. “We didn’t handle their physicality very well. Forty-two percent of our shots were in the charge circle, and we made 33% of them. So we have to finish at a higher rate regardless of the shot, but particularly when you’re that close to the rim.”
Terps-Hoyas rivalry is renewed — and Georgetown comes home with a win | WASHINGTONPOST
The arrival of Cooley — and his vow to schedule more local opponents — suggests the series could extend beyond the current contractual obligation through 2028. Cooley also has a relationship with Buzz Williams dating from their previous coaching stops.
“I’m not exactly sure why there were decades of not playing,” Williams said. “But I love Coach [Cooley]. Obviously, I’ve known Coach for a long time, and he’s in year three of what he’s building. We’re in week one. I understand the importance of it.”
The second half didn’t go any better for Maryland. The Terrapins went 1-for-10 from the field to start. Georgetown capitalized with a 15-3 run in the first seven minutes to build a 50-30 lead. Maryland responded with a 10-3 run late in the game, cutting the deficit to 58-50 with 5:24 remaining. But Georgetown held firm, trading baskets and maintaining control.
Oxon Hill native Malik Mack sealed the win with a 3-pointer that pushed the lead to 66-56 with about three minutes left. Mack finished with a game-high 19 points and eight rebounds.
“The crowd started getting loud,” Mack said. “It was a scramble play, and I was open. If I’m open, I’m going to take the shot. I’m confident in all the shots I take.”
