The 100th meeting in the historic Syracuse-Georgetown rivalry ends in a 75-71 Hoyas win

Heading into Saturday’s matchup, Syracuse men’s basketball and Georgetown have shared the court 99 times over the 95 year history between the two programs. While SU may have led the series 54-45, the Hoyas (8-2, 0-0 Big East) got one game closer to .500 against the Orange (5-5, 0-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) in a 75-71 victory.

It was a back-and-forth affair all the way to the very end. Neither team ever led by more than eight points. By halftime, the two squads were knotted at 37 heading into the locker rooms. Both teams traded layups, three-pointers, and turnovers, creating the feel that it was a game that would come down to the final few possessions.

When Syracuse supported at six point lead midway through the second half, Georgetown head coach made a defensive adjustment that SU is all too familiar with: Entering a 2-3 zone.

Over the final 8:32, the Orange shot just 2/10 compared to the Hoyas 6/13. The defensive change sparked a 17-7 run and was a key part in the win for Georgetown. After the contest, Hoyas head coach Ed Cooley had some jokes ready on the irony of what he did for his team.

“I know [Jim Boeheim’s] either clapping or cussing me out,” Cooley said.

Boeheim, who made the 2-3 zone his M.O. in his 47 year coaching career, was on the sideline for nearly half the total contests between the two schools. His replacement as bench boss, however, knew that missing shots was the key to Syracuse’s demise.

“We just didn’t score when we needed to score,” said SU head coach Adrian Autry. “That was the difference.”

As a whole, it wasn’t a strong offensive showing from Syracuse. The Orange shot just 42% from the floor, good for their third worst performance in the first 10 games of their campaign.

On the other side, Cooley acknowledged that SU has significant promise moving forward.

“They’re gonna start making jump shots… I’m just glad they didn’t make a few tonight,” Cooley said.

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The loss for the Orange marked the first against the Hoyas since 2021. With both Autry and Cooley in their second years with their respective programs, the two bench bosses hold a 1-1 all time record in the rivalry.

SU attempts to grab its first win over a Power 4 school this year Saturday against Maryland. The Terrapins currently sit 8-2 on the season. Gametime for that tilt is set for noon. Our Countdown to Tipoff coverage begins at 11:30 on 88.3FM and waer.org.