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(Addison Cox / Fourth Estate)

BY TOMMY BUCKLES, STAFF WRITER

As George Mason led Duquesne 60-52 with 7:12 to play in the second half, graduate guard Jahari Long sliced through the paint for his second straight layup. The play fueled a raucous EagleBank Arena, but the Dukes weren’t done. 

Following the late-game 8-point lead, the Dukes would go on a 19-5 run to close out the game. Mason men’s basketball would lose its first home game since November 2024, falling to Duquesne 71-65 on Feb. 4. 

Duquesne’s graduate forward Alex Williams left the Patriots’ defense with no answer, scoring a game-high 25 points, including 20 in the second half. Junior guard Brandon Hall’s 5 steals put a defensive exclamation point on the Dukes’ 17 forced turnovers, 10 of which came in the first half. 

“[There’s] a lot to learn from, but we’ve got to keep our spirits right,” Coach Tony Skinn said about the loss. “There are certain things that are non-negotiable in this program… I just thought we had a bunch of weak moments, and that’s what pisses me off.”

Jahari Long and junior forward Riley Allenspach transformed their nine combined first-half points into a total of 35, utilizing high ball screens to put the Dukes’ physicality in conflict. Allenspach finished the game with a team-high 18 points and 7 rebounds in his first start back after missing three games due to an upper-body injury.

Coming into the game, Duquesne ranked 345th in the country in fouls committed per game. On paper, that stat seemed to play into the Patriots’ hands, who are one of the top teams in the country in terms of free-throw rate. Yet, Skinn’s team failed to capitalize, shooting 53% from the free-throw line. The Patriots would finish the game with a higher FG% and 3PT% than Duquesne, but they allowed the Dukes to go 16-21 at the line, a haunting stat in a 6-point loss. 

Junior guard Kory Mincy, Mason’s top scorer this season, injured his shooting hand with five minutes left in the first half. Mincy would return to the game, but the injury would hamper him for the rest of the game. The transfer from Presbyterian College scored an uncharacteristic 10 points in 36 minutes. 

With VCU’s win over Dayton on Friday, the Patriots are now third in the A-10 standings, and Skinn knows that the tests only get tougher.  

“No message yet,” Skinn said when asked his message to his players about the upcoming matchup.  “Just an overall message that the rest of our conference games are going to be tough games…We’ve gotta clean up.”

Saturday’s homecoming matchup vs. Saint Joseph’s tips off at 4:00 p.m. Students can register for tickets on Mason360, and the game will stream on ESPN+.