Dayton Defeats Saint Louis in Atlantic 10 Tournament Semifinal

Flyers advance to championship game after last-second victory

Mar. 14, 2026 at 8:06pm

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The Dayton Flyers defeated the Saint Louis Billikens 70-69 in the semifinal of the Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament. Jordan Derkack led Dayton with 28 points, while Amael L'Etang hit the game-winning layup with one second remaining. Dayton will now advance to the championship game on Sunday.

Why it matters

This win for Dayton keeps their impressive tournament run alive, as they look to capture the Atlantic 10 title and secure an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Saint Louis, the tournament's top seed, is now eliminated, ending their hopes of an at-large bid to the Big Dance.

The details

Derkack scored 12 points in the first half as Dayton trailed 36-33 at the break. He then led the Flyers with 16 points in the second half, including L'Etang's game-winning layup in the final second. Javon Bennett added 17 points for Dayton, while Amari McCottry had 16 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 blocks for Saint Louis.

  • The game was played on Saturday, March 14, 2026 in the semifinal round of the Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament.
  • Dayton and Saint Louis will not play again until the championship game on Sunday, March 15, 2026.

The players

Jordan Derkack

A key player for the Dayton Flyers, scoring a team-high 28 points in the semifinal victory.

Amael L'Etang

Hit the game-winning layup with one second remaining to lift Dayton over Saint Louis.

Amari McCottry

The top scorer for Saint Louis with 16 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 blocks in the losing effort.

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What they’re saying

“We knew it was going to be a tough battle against a great Saint Louis team, but our guys showed a lot of heart and resilience to pull out the win.”

— Anthony Grant, Head Coach, Dayton Flyers

“It's a tough way to end our season, but I'm proud of the effort our team put forth all year. We'll learn from this experience and come back stronger next season.”

— Travis Ford, Head Coach, Saint Louis Billikens

What’s next

Dayton will play either VCU or Saint Joseph's in the Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament championship game on Sunday, March 15, 2026.

The takeaway

Dayton's thrilling comeback victory over the tournament's top seed Saint Louis sets up an exciting championship matchup, as the Flyers look to clinch an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament and continue their impressive postseason run.