No. 21 Saint Louis faces Dayton, seeking 15th straight win

Billikens look to continue dominant run in Atlantic 10 play

Jan. 29, 2026 at 8:39pm

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No. 21 Saint Louis is on a 14-game winning streak and seeking its 15th straight victory as it hosts Dayton in Atlantic 10 conference play. The Billikens' only loss this season came against Stanford, while Dayton has dropped three straight games and is fighting to keep its NCAA Tournament hopes alive.

Why it matters

Saint Louis is having one of the best seasons by an Atlantic 10 team in recent memory, while Dayton is trying to regain its footing after a tough stretch of conference play that has damaged its NCAA Tournament prospects.

The details

Saint Louis (20-1, 8-0 A-10) is led by senior Robbie Avila, who hit a game-winning 3-pointer in the team's last outing against George Washington. The Billikens have won 14 straight games and 17 in a row at home. Dayton (14-7, 5-3 A-10), meanwhile, has lost three straight games and squandered a 15-point lead in its most recent loss to Rhode Island. The Flyers are led by senior guard Javon Bennett, who averages 16.3 points per game.

  • Saint Louis' only loss this season came against Stanford on a last-second 3-pointer on a neutral court.
  • The Billikens extended their program-record home winning streak to 17 games with their victory over George Washington on Tuesday.

The players

Robbie Avila

Saint Louis' leading scorer at 13.1 points per game, Avila hit the game-winning 3-pointer in the team's last game.

Josh Schertz

Saint Louis' head coach, who has gone 94-36 in three-plus seasons with the Billikens.

Javon Bennett

Dayton's leading scorer at 16.3 points per game.

Anthony Grant

Dayton's head coach, who is hoping his team can rebound from a three-game losing streak.

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What they’re saying

“Really proud of our group's resilience, the fight. We hadn't been in that situation where we were down. I thought we didn't play great, but we competed great. You couldn't compete better than we did. For us to get punched in the mouth for the first time all year and to taste your own blood, I was super proud of the fight.”

— Josh Schertz, Head Coach, Saint Louis

“There's nobody I've seen who's more clutch than Robbie Avila. You just feel like every time he gets a shot like that, he's going to make it. That's a great luxury as a coach to have. ... People just have a clutch gene or they don't. He's just such an emotionally stable human being. I don't think he ever gets rattled.”

— Josh Schertz, Head Coach, Saint Louis

“I have to do a better job. I have to figure out how to make sure our guys understand what this is all about, what their responsibility is to each other, to the group as a whole, to the university, to the community, to everybody.”

— Anthony Grant, Head Coach, Dayton

What’s next

The winner of Friday's game between No. 21 Saint Louis and Dayton will take a big step towards securing a spot in the NCAA Tournament, while the loser will have work to do to bolster its resume.

The takeaway

Saint Louis is proving to be one of the best teams in the Atlantic 10 this season, while Dayton is struggling to regain its footing after a tough stretch of conference play. This matchup between the two programs will have major implications for their respective NCAA Tournament hopes.