Junior midfielder Ryan Lang and the Terps struggled on offense against Duke, converting on only 8 of 50 shots.

After the Terrapin men’s lacrosse team converted on 13 of 30 shots (43 percent) against then No. 5-ranked Georgetown, head coach Dave Cottle tried to express why his team was so successful offensively.

“I say this all the time if anyone will listen. The most important stat in lacrosse, by far, is shooting percentage,” he said. “If you shoot the ball at a high percentage, you’re in every game.”

After converting on eight of 50 shots Saturday against No. 12 Duke, it’s evident that Cottle is at least half correct. The Terps were still in the game despite the low percentage (16 percent), but it was clear that shooting percentage is the most important statistic — at least for the Terps thus far this season.

“Our kids tried hard, but we just didn’t execute on offense. We’re eight for 50 shooting, and when you do a bad job shooting…,” Cottle said.

He didn’t have to finish the sentence. The reporters listened to him the game before.

Although the Terps’ shot percentage was low, it was more a byproduct of poor offense.

The Terps didn’t move the ball around the crease as much as they did against Georgetown, instead opting to try and take defenders one on one. Before the game, junior midfielder Bill McGlone said the Terps would try and penetrate to draw the double team, then pass to the open man.

The Terps’ problem was they didn’t make the pass. Instead they juked back and forth only to unload a poor shot that often was either an easy save or wide of the net.

“Their defense had a great game,” junior attacker Joe Walters said. “But we didn’t play well at all on offense.”

The shot percentage is somewhat skewed because the Terps tried to scramble back from Duke’s three-goal fourth-quarter lead, they settled for long darts that often didn’t make it on goal. Still, those are shots that could have gone in, and there were other, more open looks late in the game.

Sophomore attacker Michael Phipps could have tied the game late in the fourth quarter when he was left alone feet from the goalie. But on one of the most open looks of the day, Phipps’ one-on-one shot was diverted with a kick save and there was no follow-up.

“We had a lot of chances and shots that we didn’t cash in on,” Phipps said. “If we cash in on them, it’s a different ballgame.”