The Maryland men’s basketball team dropped its home opener to Georgetown, 70–60, on Friday, Nov. 7, at Xfinity Center.
The Terrapins shot 25 percent from the field (13 of 52) and 19 percent from 3-point range (4 of 21).
“They were physical from start to finish,” Maryland head coach Buzz Williams said of Georgetown’s defense. “We didn’t handle their physicality very well.”
Maryland started the game with three freshmen — Darius Adams, Guillermo Del Pino and Andre Mills — but the lineup didn’t last long. Del Pino was pulled early after a turnover and played just over two minutes.
Williams had emphasized the importance of defending without fouling during his news conference the day before. However, the Terrapins committed three fouls in the first two minutes, allowing Georgetown to jump out to a 7-0 lead. The Hoyas extended that to 11-0 as Maryland struggled to score and maintain possession.
Georgetown head coach Ed Cooley praised his team’s fast start.
“If we can get out the gate like that — three stops in a row — we call it a ‘cherry,'” he said. “We try to get as many cherries as possible. We have 10 four-minute wars, and if we win each one, we’ll be on the winning side.”
Georgetown and Maryland combined to take 68 foul shots, with the Hoyas going 23 of 31 from the charity stripe and the Terrapins going 30 of 37.
“We made 30 free throws,” Williams said. “Statistically, if that’s the only number you saw, you’d think it was a close game or even a win. Half our points came from the line, so we do need to get fouled — but we also have to defend without fouling.”
Maryland didn’t score until Pharrel Payne (17 points and 11 rebounds) hit two free throws with just under 17 minutes left in the first half. The Terrapins struggled from the field, especially from 3-point range. They missed their first 12 attempts from deep before finally connecting with less than 3:30 to go in the half. They finished the half shooting 5-for-22 from the field (2-for-13 from three), while Georgetown shot 10-for-25 despite going 0-for-8 from beyond the arc. The Hoyas led, 32–27, at halftime.
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.”
Maryland guard Myles Rice (ankle) returned to the lineup after missing the season opener against Coppin and led the Terrapins with 19 points and seven rebounds, but also had four turnovers to just one assist.
“We need Myles to play with a low turnover rate,” Williams said. “We have a turnover problem. We need him to be 4-to-1 in the right direction, not 1-to-4. To his credit, he’s missed a lot of practice reps, but his IQ is high, and his speed changes our team.”
The Terrapins will look to bounce back when they host Alcorn State on Tuesday, Nov. 11, at 7 p.m. at Xfinity Center.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Maryland Athletics