Georgetown walked into one of the biggest early-season matchups on the DMV calendar and left with the bragging rights still on the Hilltop.
The Hoyas controlled Maryland from the opening tip to the final buzzer at Capital One Arena, beating the Terrapins 86-74 in a game that never really felt close once Georgetown found its rhythm from deep. Maryland brought a heavy crowd and plenty of hope for payback after Georgetown beat the Terps by 10 on their floor last season, but the Hoyas erased that storyline fast. Georgetown hit 15 threes, its most in a game since 2010, and kept the title of the DMV’s top dog in the Nation’s Capital.
The first half gave Maryland a brief opening. After DJ Wagner knocked down an and-one free throw coming out of the under-four media timeout, the Terps had trimmed Georgetown’s lead to six.
That was as close as they got. Georgetown answered with a 12-2 burst over the final 3:35 before halftime and went into the break up 44-28.
The second half started badly for Maryland and only got worse. The Terps committed four defensive fouls on Georgetown’s first possession after the restart, and by the under-sixteen timeout the Hoyas had stretched the margin to 56-33. With nearly 40% of the game still left, the outcome was already slipping away.
Even the final score doesn’t fully capture how one-sided this was. When Vince Iwuchukwu hit a free throw with 4:35 left, Georgetown’s lead was 81-55. Maryland did close with a 19-5 run, but by then a lot of the Terps’ fans had already headed for the exits and the Metro back to College Park.
Jaland Lowe was the engine for Georgetown all night. The senior point guard poured in 22 points, hit 5 of 8 from three, and added eight assists to lead the team in that category. He also grabbed five rebounds and brought a physical edge on defense, including when Georgetown switched him onto Maryland’s forwards.
Elmarko Jackson gave the Hoyas another strong backcourt punch, finishing with 17 points on 3 of 5 shooting from long range. Kayvaun Mulready kept firing from deep and finished with 15 points, going 5 of 9 from beyond the arc. He also chipped in three steals, matching his reputation for defensive intensity.
Georgetown’s front line held up its end too. Iwuchukwu finished with 12 points, while Chol Machot was a force around the rim with five blocks.
Maryland’s clearest bright spot was Pharrel Payne. The senior forward led the Terps with 28 points, shooting 10 of 14 from the field and a perfect 8 for 8 at the foul line. No other Maryland player topped 15.
The numbers tell the story in plain terms. Georgetown shot 15 of 30 from three-point range, a blistering 50 percent, while Maryland managed just 3 of 20 from deep. Both teams turned it over 14 times, but the Hoyas created far better looks for each other and finished with 19 assists to Maryland’s 9.
For Georgetown, this was the kind of non-conference win that matters. The Hoyas need quality victories if they want their first at-large NCAA tournament bid since 2015. They’ll host Delaware State on Tuesday at McDonough Arena before a bigger test at Clemson on Friday.
Maryland still has chances to build its resume, starting with No. 9 Virginia in College Park on Friday.
In Other News...
Marylands New-Look Roster Already Has A Georgetown Problem
Marylands new season got an early reality check at Capital One Arena, where Georgetown controlled the opener and handed the Terps an 86-74 loss in the first game of the 2026-27 campaign. The Hoyas set the tone with their work on the glass and timely outside shooting, while Maryland spent much of the night trying to find a rhythm on offense and keep pace defensively on the perimeter.
Buzz Williams did not sit still as the game unfolded, mixing and matching lineups in search of a spark. But even as Maryland tried to adjust, Georgetown kept answering, and the Terps never managed to fully close the gap or turn the matchup into the kind of early-season statement they were hoping for. [Read more 🡒]
Marylands Georgetown Loss Exposed A Gap Terps Fans Wont Ignore
Marylands trip across town to face Georgetown ended with a familiar kind of frustration, the sort that lingers because it exposed more than just a bad shooting night. The Terrapins fell 86-74 at Capital One Arena, with Georgetown spending most of the afternoon in control and getting the kind of perimeter production that kept Maryland chasing from the start. Pharrel Payne did what he could to steady things, finishing with 28 points and eight rebounds, but the Terps never found enough offensive rhythm to turn the game into a real battle.
For Maryland, the concern is less the final margin than the way the game unfolded. Georgetowns edge from three-point range forced the Terps into catch-up mode, and even with Payne carrying the scoring load, Maryland could not generate enough consistent support around him. Jaland Lowe paced the Hoyas with 22 points, and the result left Maryland with a reminder that the gap in this matchup was not just about one cold stretch, but about a broader issue fans are likely to notice again if it shows up in bigger games. [Read more 🡒]
Maryland Just Got Exposed In The One Area Buzz Williams Needs Fixed
Marylands early-season trip to Capital One Arena offered a blunt reminder of how much work still sits in front of Buzz Williams team. In an 86-74 loss to Georgetown, the Terrapins fell to 1-1 and spent most of the night chasing a Hoyas group that was far more comfortable from the perimeter, while Marylands own offense never found enough rhythm to keep pace.
Pharrel Payne gave Maryland a strong individual effort with 28 points and eight rebounds, but it was not enough to offset the bigger issues. The Terps were exposed defensively and had trouble answering Georgetowns outside shooting, the kind of problem that tends to travel with a team if it is not corrected quickly, especially with the schedule already asking for more consistency. [Read more 🡒]