Dayton Flyers Advance to A-10 Final After Thrilling Semifinal Win

Dayton's last-second tip-in caps wild finish against top-seeded St. Louis

Mar. 14, 2026 at 9:20pm

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In the final 15 seconds of the Atlantic-10 semifinal between top-seeded St. Louis and Dayton, there were eight points scored, three lead changes, including two made 3-pointers, no free throws, no timeouts, and a near coast-to-coast buzzer-beater. Dayton's 7'1" sophomore from France, Amaël L'Etang, tipped in a missed layup with 0.6 seconds left to give the Flyers a 70-69 win over the Billikens and advance to the A-10 Championship final.

Why it matters

The thrilling finish to the A-10 semifinal showcases the excitement and unpredictability of March Madness, even before the NCAA Tournament begins. Dayton's win over the top-seeded Billikens also impacts the NCAA Tournament bubble, as it likely means Miami (OH) will fall to the "Last Four In" according to the latest bracketology projections.

The details

After trading 3-pointers late, Dayton's Amaël L'Etang tipped in a missed layup by teammate Jordan Derkack with just 0.6 seconds remaining to give the Flyers a 70-69 victory over St. Louis. The play was nearly overshadowed by a Dayton player running onto the court to celebrate before the game was over, but an assistant coach was able to drag him back to the sideline in time.

  • The Atlantic-10 semifinal took place on March 14, 2026.
  • Dayton's game-winning tip-in occurred with just 0.6 seconds left on the clock.

The players

Amaël L'Etang

A 7'1" sophomore from France who plays for the Dayton Flyers.

Jordan Derkack

A Dayton Flyers player whose missed layup was tipped in by L'Etang for the game-winning basket.

St. Louis Billikens

The top-seeded team that lost to Dayton in the Atlantic-10 semifinal.

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What’s next

Dayton will play the winner of Saint Joseph's or VCU in the Atlantic 10 Championship final on Sunday, March 15 at 1 p.m.

The takeaway

The thrilling finish to the A-10 semifinal is a perfect example of the madness and unpredictability that makes March such an exciting time for college basketball fans, even before the NCAA Tournament begins.