After keeping pace with the Syracuse Orange (9-3) throughout the first half, the Georgetown Hoyas (7-6) slumped in the second half and fell, 80-68, to their former Big East rival in front of an announced home crowd of 14,193 at Capital One Arena.

In true Georgetown-Syracuse fashion, frequent fouls and sloppy defense marked the first half of the game. Sophomore guard Jayden Epps, coming off of a stellar performance against Texas Christian University (TCU), scored 7 points in the first three minutes of the game. However, a prepared Syracuse defense quickly stifled Epps – he scored only 2 additional points in the half. 

Still, Georgetown matched Syracuse shot-for-shot in the first 20 minutes, shooting 45% compared to the Orange’s 46% field goal percentage. The Hoyas entered the second half optimistic, down only 35-34.

But the optimism was short-lived. After Georgetown stepped ahead 38-37 at the 17:28 mark of the second half, Syracuse quickly scored 9 unanswered points. From there, the game slipped out of Georgetown’s grasp, as warring chants of “Let’s Go Hoyas” and “Let’s Go Orange” filled the stadium.

Georgetown’s woes snowballed later in the second half, as they missed field goal after field goal. The Hoyas trailed 50-41 at the 14:05 mark and never recovered. 

Perhaps Georgetown’s late demise was predictable based on their first-half performance: the team shot only 3-for-12 from beyond the arc. After halftime, the Hoyas went on an underwhelming 2-for-14 on three-point attempts, with not a single Hoya making more than one three-pointer all night.

Georgetown also faltered from the free throw line, succeeding only 65% of the time in a game that fouls interrupted frequently. 

“Some days, the ball just doesn’t go in,” Georgetown Head Coach Ed Cooley said in the postgame press conference. This was evidently one of those days. 

Syracuse did not face the same scoring troubles, maintaining a respectable 45.5% three-point percentage and 73.9% free throw percentage. The Orange were led by guard Judah Mintz and guard JJ Starling, a dynamic pair of guards who scored 25 and 21 points, respectively.

“I thought their guards controlled the whole game,” said Cooley. “Credit them. They played well.”

Syracuse was also able to capitalize on fast break opportunities, scoring 20 points to Georgetown’s measly 2.

Although Georgetown was overmatched, Cooley emphasized the significance of the Georgetown-Syracuse Big East rivalry, which has continued annually despite Syracuse’s 2011 move to the Atlantic Coast Conference. 

“As long as I’m the head coach, I want to play Syracuse every year,” said Cooley. “I can’t tell you how much I’m looking forward to this goddamn game next year.”

With this win, Syracuse edged further ahead in the head-to-head rivalry, leading the Hoyas 54-45. Next year will mark the 100th game between the two teams.

Cooley noted during the press conference that his players are still adjusting to the Big East style of play. Only three of Georgetown’s players competed in the Big East last year — the rest are still taking every game as an opportunity to improve.

Still, the Hoyas’ performance in a hyped-up, well-attended rivalry game was a mark below the learning curve.

“I really thought we grew up a lot in our last game against TCU. I thought we took a step back today and I don’t know why that is,” Cooley said after the game. “It was probably one of our worst games we’ve had in a while.”

When asked what caused Georgetown’s second-half skid, Cooley did not hesitate: “Turnovers and offensive rebounds.”

As Georgetown looks toward conference play against a strong Big East, the Hoyas must sharpen their shooting, clean up their defense and speed up their game.

“We’re going to put this behind us real quick,” Cooley said. 

Georgetown’s schedule continued Dec. 16 in South Bend, Ind., where the Hoyas took down a capable Notre Dame (5-7) team in a thrilling overtime win. Then, Georgetown fell to Butler (10-2) and Marquette (10-3) to open their Big East conference schedule. The Hoyas return to action on Jan. 2 at home against the twelfth-ranked Creighton Bluejays (9-3).