FAIRFAX, Va. — If you live in Northern Virginia and you care about college basketball, this is the game you come out for. On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, George Mason rode a late Jahari Long 3-pointer to a 69–64 win over George Washington Monday night at EagleBank Arena.
In front of 6,434 fans in what sounded like the loudest EagleBank Arena has been all season, the Patriots trailed 62–60 with 2:21 left when Long, scoreless to that point, buried a 3-pointer to put Mason back in front 63–62. It was his first basket of the night, and it changed the finish.
It felt fitting that MLK Day brought the two Georges into the same building. George Mason and George Washington traded runs and played a game that looked and sounded like a rivalry is supposed to.
And Mason had to earn it the hard way. The Patriots’ turnovers were a problem, directly fueling 21 GW points and keeping the Revolutionaries within reach even when Mason had chances to stretch it. On nights when it’s not your best, it comes down to late defense and grit, and that’s what powered Mason through the final possessions. When it got tight late, the Patriots settled in, got stops, and finished the job.
The win pushed Mason to 18–1 overall and 6–0 in Atlantic 10 play, the first 6–0 league start in program history, and kept the Patriots perfect at home at 13–0.
Mason jumped out early, taking a 38–30 lead into halftime. A Kory Mincy 3-pointer early in the second half stretched the edge to 11, but GW answered with a 13–2 run to tie the game at 43–43. The teams were tied again at 57–57 with 5:41 remaining before the Revolutionaries briefly grabbed the 62–60 lead that set the stage for Long’s moment.
Riley Allenspach closed it out at the foul line, knocking down four huge free throws, including two front ends of one-and-one opportunities, while Mason’s defense came up with three big stops late.
Allenspach led the Patriots with 18 points and a career-best 12 rebounds for his second double-double of the season. Masai Troutman added 14 points and three assists. Mincy finished with 13 points, six rebounds and four assists, and Fatt Hill chipped in 11 points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals. Long scored only once, but finished with a team-best five assists.
Defensively, Mason held GW to 42.1 percent shooting and 64 points, well under the Revolutionaries’ season average of 87.1, while the Patriots shot 49 percent on the other end.
There was also a storyline on the sidelines. Tony Skinn improved to 4–0 in his last four matchups against GW, and across from him was Chris Caputo, Skinn’s former coach and a key member of Mason’s 2006 Final Four staff. The Patriots have now won five straight in the series.
After the game, Skinn emphasized Team 60 being defined by toughness and grit and pointed to Patriot Pressure as the standard. Mason hands out the postgame Teeth Award after wins, and Skinn said Monday night’s honor belonged to the fans inside EagleBank Arena, crediting the crowd with creating a real home-court advantage.
If you haven’t seen this team play in person, you don’t want to miss this group. Skinn has Mason rocking in a way that brings back 2006 vibes, and anyone who’s been around sports long enough knows it’s never forever. Mason also took time Monday to honor former assistant coach Bill Courtney, who died suddenly last week. Courtney, a longtime assistant under Jim Larrañaga, played a key role in recruiting the players who formed the backbone of that Final Four team, and Skinn has said Courtney was instrumental in bringing him to Fairfax: “Bill Courtney is one of the reasons I came to George Mason.” The tribute was a moment that put everything in perspective, a reminder to enjoy it while you have it.
Next up, George Mason travels to Rhode Island for a Saturday contest at the Ryan Center. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. on ESPN+.
