Those Who Made The Syracuse-Georgetown Rivalry What It Is

The Syracuse-Georgetown rivalry dates back to the 1929-30 season. Syracuse claimed a 40-18 victory in that first matchup with the Hoyas. At the time, no fan could have expected the pairing would develop into one of college basketball's all-time great rivalries.

After a short break, the games resumed in 1937 and continued for seven straight years. The Orange and the Hoyas played twice in the 1950s, on four occasions in the 1960s and once in 1974 and again in 1979. At that stage, Syracuse had a respectable 11-6 advantage in the series.

To say emotions escalated between the two programs in 1979-80 would be a gross understatement. That year, Georgetown defeated second-ranked Syracuse at Manley Field House, 52-50. After the game, Hoya Coach John Thompson famously proclaimed "Manley Field House is officially closed," as the contest was the last in the old arena before the Orange moved to the Carrier Dome.

Fans have flocked to the Dome to see Syracuse host Georgetown. There have been 80 games with attendances of 30,000-or-better in Dome history and 17 have come with the Hoyas in the house. The next closest opponent on the list has nine.

The rivalry is filled with Hall of Fame members, great players and interesting characters. Here's a list of 10 key figures from the history of the Syracuse-Georgetown competitions. Ten is not enough!

Jim Boeheim: The one constant in the rivalry during its hottest stages, Boeheim coached all the Syracuse players on this list and competed against all the Georgetown representatives. One of his greatest highlights may have been Syracuse's 1992 BIG EAST Conference Championship, earned in a 56-54 victory.
John Thompson: Thompson was a towering figure in stature and influence during his time as Georgetown head coach. He built the Hoya program into a national championship contender and winner of the 1984 NCAA title. Georgetown was part of the BIG EAST Conference at the height of the league's strength and Thompson was most responsible for developing the Hoyas. In Syracuse, his towel-over-the-shoulder pose became iconic, and his ejection from a 1990 Syracuse win in the Dome unforgettable.
Pearl Washington: Pearl may have been one of the biggest spotlights the BIG EAST Conference had to shine on the basketball world and he had some of his most memorable performances against Georgetown. Washington poured in 24 points when Syracuse defeated the Hoyas in 1985-86 at the Dome, 64-63. He had 21 points and 11 assists to lead Syracuse to a 75-73 overtime triumph in the 1985 BIG EAST Tournament semifinals. There was also an alleged punch to the solar plexus of a Georgetown player listed below that some might remember.
Patrick Ewing: The "biggest" of all Hoyas, Ewing was a key part of some classic Syracuse-Georgetown encounters before he went on to a lengthy NBA career with the New York Knicks. He led the Hoyas to the 1984 BIG EAST title in an 82-71 overtime victory against Syracuse. He contributed 27 points and 11 boards. A year later, Ewing had 15 points and 12 rebounds in a BIG EAST Tournament semifinal triumph versus the Orange, 74-65.
Derrick Coleman: DC was a double-double machine when going up against the Hoyas. In 1989, he had 22 points and 11 rebounds in a 61-54 loss at Georgetown and came back with 21 points and 13 boards in an 82-76 overtime triumph. He had 24 points and 13 rebounds in a 95-76 win at the Capital Centre in 1990 and then contributed 27 points in the Syracuse victory that featured Thompson's ejection.
Billy Owens: Owens had the biggest offensive explosion of any Syracuse performer during the BIG EAST Conference portion of the rivalry. Owens tallied 36 points and 10 rebounds in a 95-76 Syracuse win at the Capital Centre in 1989-90. It was one of a number of strong Owens performances against Georgetown.
Gerry McNamara: It's difficult to leave McNamara, one of Syracuse's all-time great combatants, off this list. He earned his spot with a long, long-distance 3-pointer at the buzzer to defeat Georgetown, 57-54, at the MCI Center in 2004. A season later, G-Mac had five 3-pointers and seven assists to pace Syracuse in a 78-73 overtime triumph in the Dome.
Perry McDonald: He might not be on the list of the top 10 Hoya players of all-time, but McDonald had a couple of remarkable results against the Orange in 1986-87. The Hoyas won 83-81 in overtime and McDonald had 21 points, including a buzzer beater in the lane to secure the contest. Less than a month later, he scored 26 points in the Dome to lead Georgetown to a 72-71 triumph.
Danny Schayes: In one of Schayes' best-ever games, he helped the Orange win 66-54 by grabbing 23 boards and blocking seven Hoya shots. Earlier that same season, he contributed 22 points and nine boards in a 62-57 loss to Georgetown in the last series game contested at McDonough Arena.
Eric "Sleepy" Floyd: the talented backcourt performer etched his name in Syracuse-Georgetown lore by hitting two free throws with five seconds left, effectively ending the Orange's 57-game home winning streak at Manley Field House, and setting the stage for Coach Thompson's quote.

Syracuse University Athletics

Those Who Made The Syracuse-Georgetown Rivalry What It Is

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