George Mason routs No. 25 Saint Louis 86-57 in Atlantic 10 regular-season finale

A late-season benchmark game ends in a lopsided result

George Mason closed its regular season Saturday, March 7, 2026, with an 86-57 home win over No. 25 Saint Louis at EagleBank Arena in Fairfax, Virginia. The outcome halted a Saint Louis team that entered the day atop the Atlantic 10 standings and positioned for the conference tournament in Pittsburgh.

Guard Jahari Long led the Patriots with 21 points and nine assists, setting the tone in a matchup that carried postseason implications for both programs. Saint Louis arrived with a 27-3 overall record and a 15-2 mark in Atlantic 10 play, while George Mason came in at 22-8 overall and 10-7 in the league.

What the matchup represented before tipoff

The game was the first regular-season meeting between the teams in conference play this season and also served as George Mason’s Senior Day. Saint Louis had already secured at least a share of the Atlantic 10 regular-season title and had clinched the top seed for the conference tournament, with its opening game set for Friday, March 13.

For George Mason, the contest offered an opportunity to stabilize entering postseason play after a late-season stretch that included multiple losses. The Patriots were already locked into the No. 5 seed for the Atlantic 10 tournament and scheduled to open tournament play Thursday, March 12.

Series context and recent history

Saturday’s game marked the 18th all-time men’s basketball meeting between Saint Louis and George Mason. Saint Louis holds an 11-6 advantage in the series, though George Mason has won the last two matchups, including an overtime win in St. Louis on Feb. 11, 2025.

How both teams had been defined statistically

Saint Louis entered the finale with one of the nation’s most efficient profiles on both ends of the floor. The Billikens led Division I in 3-point percentage and field-goal percentage defense, and they ranked among national leaders in scoring offense, scoring margin and rebounding margin.

George Mason, meanwhile, had built much of its season on defensive structure, ranking among the Atlantic 10’s better scoring defenses. In the lead-up to the game, the Patriots’ ability to force and win turnover battles and hold opponents below 40% shooting was highlighted as a consistent marker of their victories.

What comes next

• Saint Louis: top seed in the Atlantic 10 tournament; first game Friday, March 13, in Pittsburgh.

• George Mason: No. 5 seed; scheduled to play Thursday, March 12, in Pittsburgh.

The result capped the regular season for both programs and reset the immediate focus toward the Atlantic 10 tournament bracket, where single-elimination pressure will quickly replace regular-season trends.