Men’s Basketball Uses Defense to Win Shootout, 99-86

Saturday, December 6

Washington, DC

6 p.m.

George Washington University

8-2,0-0Atlantic 10

William & Mary

8-3,0-0CAA

William & Mary

George Washington

12/6/2025 9:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

WASHINGTON - On a day chock full of highlights for GW Athletics, with a women's basketball rally in the matinee at the Smith Center, an interstitial between hoops games with an alumni reunion of all sports from all eras of George Washington athletics, and the nightcap celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Charles E. Smith Center, it seemed only fitting that men's basketball defended all that the proud program has built with a defensive effort in the second half against William & Mary that sent the Foggy Bottom faithful home happy with a 99-86 win.

The first half was a track meet as both teams shot greater than 55% from the floor and sprinted to 105 combined points and a narrow 53-52 edge for the Revolutionaries at the break. While GW was in the halftime locker room, program legend and new Hall of Famer, the late Yinka Dare, was being honored upstairs, then the current crop of student-athletes channeled Dare's defensive mentality to stop the Tribe in their tracks and limit the guests to 32.3% shooting in the final 20 minutes.

GW, on the other hand, did not slow down in the second with another half shooting 50% from the floor and 46 more points on the board to come within a point of 100.

Jean Aranguren, whose contributions to wins aren't always found on the stat sheet, left no doubt Saturday night. His season-high 20 points in just 19:36 off the bench, came with four assists, two blocks and a steal, leading a bench effort that yielded 48 points. Reserves Tyrone Marshall (15) and Luke Hunger (11) were among five GW Revs in double figures, as Rafael Castro Castroed with 18 points on 7-of-8 shooting with six rebounds, and Garrett Johnson netted a dozen.

With famed former head coach Bob Tallent and his 1975-76 team in attendance - the team that christened Smith Center 50 years ago - the night served as a university-wide celebration of all that the venue has meant to the community in the last half century.

With a 5-0 record at home on the season, GW hosts another opportunity for the community to rally around the high-flying Revolutionaries on Wednesday night vs. Delaware at 7 p.m. on Monumental Sports Network and ESPN+.