DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The George Mason University men's basketball team (7-0) captured the 2025 GEICO Sunshine Slam Championship with a 74-65 triumph over Florida Atlantic (5-2) Tuesday night inside the Ocean Center.
The Patriots led by as many as 19 in the second half and withstood a furious second-half rally by the Owls to improve to 7-0 for the first time in school history.
It's also George Mason's first MTE title since the 2019 Cayman Islands Classic.
"When watching film of FAU, they looked like a high major team," head coach
Tony Skinn ('06) said. "I thought their physicality and pace would fluster us. But these guys took the scout on the head and in those first four minutes, we showed our teeth and showed our Patriot Pressure. It set the tone for the game. I was proud of our approach and our intensity level. FAU willed their way back, but our poise carried us through."
Tournament MVP
Kory Mincy led the Patriots with a team-high 22 points (7-12 FG, 3-5 3pt) and five assists, including a pair of clutch free throws late to ice the game for the Green & Gold.
Jahari Long added an impressive 21 points (7-11 FG, 4-5 3pt) and a critical late lay-in, while
Riley Allenspach notched eight points and a team-best nine rebounds.
Nick Ellington also tallied eight points in 14 minutes.
George Mason continued its torrid 3pt shooting in Daytona while making 9-of-17 triples (.529). The Patriots shot 49 percent (25-51) overall. The Green & Gold also limited the Owls to just 26.1 percent (6-23) from the 3pt line for the game.
The Patriots hit four of their first five triples and jumped out to an early 19-6 advantage. The Owls moved back within eight at 27-19, but the Patriots hit back-to-back triples to give George Mason a 40-25 cushion heading into halftime.
The Patriots went up 19 (61-42) with 10:46 to go, but a 12-0 run by the Owls cut the GMU edge to seven at 61-54. FAU cut it to three (66-63) with 2:08 left, but a huge lay-in from Long and late free throws by Mincy clinched the victory for the Green & Gold.
The Patriots return home for the program's 102nd all time meeting with Commonwealth rival James Madison. George Mason will host JMU on Saturday at 2 p.m. The game will be broadcast regionally on Monumental Sports Network and streamed nationally on ESPN+.
