Dayton Edges St. Bonaventure 72-70 After 15 Lead Changes

The Bonnies fall to 13-10 (2-8, A-10) while the Flyers move to 15-8 (6-4, A-10) in a close conference matchup.

Feb. 3, 2026 at 11:15pm

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The St. Bonaventure University men's basketball team lost a close 72-70 game to Dayton on Tuesday at UD Arena. The game featured 15 lead changes, with Dayton senior guard Javon Bennett leading all scorers with 20 points. The Bonnies were led by junior guard Darryl 'Buddy' Simmons II with 17 points, while senior forward Frank Mitchell grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds.

Why it matters

This was the eighth game this season decided by 10 or fewer points for the Bonnies, highlighting the competitiveness of the Atlantic 10 conference. The loss drops St. Bonaventure to 13-10 overall and 2-8 in conference play, while Dayton improves to 15-8 and 6-4 in the A-10.

The details

The game was tight throughout, with the teams tied 22-22 after the opening 12 minutes. Dayton then went on an 8-0 run to take a 30-22 lead, and led 41-30 at halftime. St. Bonaventure stormed back in the second half, scoring 14 unanswered points to take a 48-47 lead. The lead changed hands 15 times over the final nine minutes before Dayton sealed the win at the free throw line in the final seconds.

  • The game was played on Tuesday, February 3, 2026.
  • St. Bonaventure will play Fordham on Saturday, February 7, 2026.
  • Dayton will visit Virginia Commonwealth University on Friday, February 6, 2026.

The players

Darryl 'Buddy' Simmons II

A junior guard for St. Bonaventure who led the team with 17 points.

Frank Mitchell

A senior forward for St. Bonaventure who grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds.

Javon Bennett

A senior guard for Dayton who led all scorers with 20 points.

Keonte Jones

A graduate guard for Dayton who had 5 rebounds.

Jordan Derkack

A junior guard for Dayton who had 5 rebounds.

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What they’re saying

“At the end, we fouled too many times. They outscored us by 14 from the foul line, and we had a shot at the end… and they got to the foul line more at the end. We are fouling, and we need to do a better job of having discipline in those critical situations.”

— Mark Schmidt, St. Bonaventure head coach

What’s next

The Bonnies will stay on the road to play Fordham on Saturday, February 7, 2026, while Dayton visits Virginia Commonwealth University on Friday, February 6, 2026. Both games tip off at 7 p.m.

The takeaway

This close loss highlights the competitiveness of the Atlantic 10 conference, where St. Bonaventure has now had eight games decided by 10 or fewer points this season. The Bonnies will look to bounce back on the road against Fordham, while Dayton aims to continue its conference play success against VCU.