The previous season, Georgetown had posted a 9–11 record, after which all but three varsity players had either graduated or left school for military service in World War II.

However, the sophomores were a particularly talented group Ripley had recruited primarily from the New York City area, and had led the 1941-42 freshman team to a 20–1 record.

At the end of February 1943, Kostecka left school for World War II military service, not to return until the 1946–47 season, but he nonetheless was the team's second-highest scorer for the year.

[4] Fortunately for the Hoyas, sophomore center John Mahnken joined the varsity from the freshman team, so impressing fellow sophomore center Sylvester "Stretch" Goedde with his talent that Goedde gave up hope of competing with Mahnken for playing time and left the team after three games to return to his native Ohio to pursue a minor-league baseball career.

The Marines did not score on their next possession, and sophomore Georgetown guard Jim "Miggs" Reily made a set shot to tie the game at 52-52.

According to legend, the Marines were so angry over Kraus's steal and game-winning last-second basket that the Georgetown team required an armed escort after the game for protection.

[7] The win completed a three-game homestand sweep that also included victories over Syracuse and Penn State, giving the Hoyas a 14–2 record and putting them in the running for their first NCAA tournament bid.

In the semifinals, the Hoyas were 3-to-1 underdogs to DePaul under first-year head coach Ray Meyer and led by their dominating center George Mikan.

Following Ripley's strategy for the game, Kraus and Georgetown sophomore guard Billy Hassett kept Mikan busy in the middle while Hoya center Mahnken scored with outside shooting.

After World War II ended in August 1945, the school would resume athletic competition and put together a varsity men's basketball team for the 1945–46 season.

After two years at Columbia, Ripley had committed to coach Notre Dame in 1945–46, and those Georgetown players from the 1942–43 team retaining eligibility to play – notably Kostecka, Kraus, Potolicchio, and Reilly – had not yet returned from military service.

It was not until 1952, after the completion of the 1951–52 season, that the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) ruled that colleges and universities could no longer count games played against non-collegiate opponents in their annual won-loss records.