Jayden Epps, Georgetown get by Syracuse in 100th meeting

Jayden Epps scored a season-high 27 points on 11-of-15 shooting from the floor on Saturday as visiting Georgetown nipped Syracuse 75-71 in the 100th all-time meeting between the longtime rivals.

Thomas Sorber contributed 16 points, seven rebounds and two blocks and Micah Peavy added 12 points and nine rebounds for the Hoyas (8-2), who held the Orange without a field goal over the final four minutes.

Malik Mack pitched in nine points, eight assists, six rebounds and three steals for Georgetown, which trails 54-46 in the all-time series.

Eddie Lampkin Jr. paced Syracuse with 18 points and five rebounds, while Jyare Davis and Jaquan Carlos scored 15 apiece for the Orange (5-5).

Georgetown trailed 69-68 with 3 1/2 minutes left when Epps made an athletic, twisting layup to put the visitors ahead.

Two free throws by Peavy made it a three-point game with just under two minutes remaining. Elijah Moore missed a potential tying 3-pointer on the next Orange possession, then teammate Donnie Freeman misfired on a triple with 50 seconds left.

Epps essentially iced it with 21.4 seconds to go, as he came around a pick and rolled in a layup to make it 74-69.

Neither team led by more than five during a competitive first half that ended at 37-37. Davis had 11 points and Lampkin notched 10 in the opening half for Syracuse, while Georgetown was led in the first half by Epps and Sorber with 10 points apiece.

The Hoyas opened the second half with buckets from Sorber and Peavy, grew their lead to 54-46 on Epps' transition layup with 13:45 remaining.

Lampkin quickly sliced the deficit in half with back-to-back buckets, igniting a 13-2 run by the hosts. Carlos capped that burst with four free throws near the midway point of the half as the Orange took a 59-56 lead.

Davis' three-point play with 8:32 to go created a 64-58 lead for Syracuse.

Sorber made a pair of buckets to draw Georgetown within 66-64 with 5:17 remaining, then Epps' 3-pointer less than a minute later put the Hoyas up by one.

Carlos answered with a 3-pointer with 4:12 remaining. However, that would be the last field goal for the Orange, who managed only two free throws down the stretch.

--Field Level Media