Maryland Men's Basketball Suffers Season-Opening Loss to Georgetown

Maryland men’s basketball walked into Capital One Arena on Saturday night hoping to rewrite the narrative of last year’s loss to Georgetown.

Instead, the Terps found themselves reliving a familiar nightmare. In an 86-74 defeat, the team looked disjointed on both ends of the floor, struggling to contain a Hoya squad that dictated the pace from the opening tip.

The result marks a frustrating start to the 2026-27 campaign.

While Maryland managed to keep the game within five points for the first 10 minutes, the physical nature of the contest—evidenced by 36 combined rebounds in the first half—eventually wore them down. As the Testudo Times reported, the Terps’ inability to convert their own work on the glass into meaningful points became the defining theme of the night.

The statistical disparity from behind the arc told the story of the blowout. While Georgetown surged to a 47% accuracy rate from deep, Maryland’s perimeter shooting fell off a cliff. The Terps finished the first half shooting a dismal 9% from 3-point range, missing 14 consecutive shots from deep at one point.

Defensively, Maryland struggled to close out on shooters, allowing Georgetown to drain 15 3-pointers throughout the night. This marks a concerning trend for the Terps, who also surrendered 12 shots from distance to Bucknell earlier in the week.

Head coach Buzz Williams recaps Maryland men's basketball's 86-74 loss vs. Georgetown

I don’t know that our offense helped our defense at the rate that it has to in order to win on the road, Maryland head coach Buzz Williams said. And I also think that when you are shooting unpredictable shots, you’re going to be in a broken floor.

Head coach Buzz Williams attempted to spark a comeback by experimenting with his rotation, notably shifting to a four-guard lineup late in the first half. The move yielded a brief moment of momentum when DJ Wagner converted an electric and-one layup, but the reprieve was short-lived. Georgetown responded with a 10-0 run that effectively put the game out of reach before halftime.

The size advantage proved insurmountable for Maryland.

Georgetown’s Chol Machot anchored the paint with five blocks, while forwards Pharrel Payne and Tomislav Buljan were forced to shoulder a heavy burden against a superior interior presence.

Despite Payne’s impressive 28-point performance—which accounted for over 37% of Maryland’s total scoring—he received little support. Only two of his teammates managed to reach double digits, a stark contrast to the balanced scoring effort the team displayed against Bucknell.

The night was particularly difficult for freshman Baba Oladotun. Having nearly committed to Georgetown before choosing Maryland, Oladotun struggled to find his footing against swarming defenders. His limited impact, resulting in just two points, highlighted the inexperience currently plaguing the Terps’ rotation.

As the Hoyas’ lead ballooned to 33 points with 7:45 remaining, the reality of the loss set in.

A sea of Maryland fans began to exit the arena early, marking the end of a night that was supposed to be about vengeance but ended in a comprehensive rout. For a program looking to establish its identity in the 2026-27 season, the loss serves as a blunt reminder of the work required to compete on the road against high-major opponents.