Dayton Stuns Saint Louis, Advances to A-10 Title Game

Flyers rally late to upset top-seeded Billikens and earn championship game berth

Mar. 15, 2026 at 12:03am

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The Dayton Flyers men's basketball team upset the top-seeded Saint Louis Billikens 70-69 in the Atlantic 10 Tournament semifinals on Saturday. The game came down to the final seconds, with Dayton's Jordan Derkack hitting a late shot that was tipped in by teammate Amael L'Etang to give the Flyers the lead for good.

Why it matters

Dayton's victory over the heavily favored Billikens is a major upset that propels the Flyers to the A-10 championship game, where they will have a chance to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. This would mark Dayton's first conference tournament title since 2003.

The details

Trailing 66-65 in the final 20 seconds, Dayton's Jacob Conner hit a 3-pointer to put the Flyers ahead. Saint Louis quickly responded with a 3 of their own from Robbie Avila to regain the lead. But in the final seconds, Derkack's shot attempt was tipped in by L'Etang to give Dayton the 70-69 victory. Derkack led all scorers with 28 points, while L'Etang added 7 points and 4 rebounds.

  • The game was played on Saturday, March 15, 2026 at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh.

The players

Jordan Derkack

The Dayton Flyers' leading scorer, who had 28 points in the upset win over Saint Louis.

Amael L'Etang

The Dayton forward who tipped in the game-winning shot in the final seconds to lift the Flyers over the Billikens.

Robbie Avila

The Saint Louis Billikens player who hit a 3-pointer to briefly give his team the lead late in the game.

Jacob Conner

The Dayton player who hit a 3-pointer to put the Flyers ahead in the final 20 seconds of the game.

Javon Bennett

The Dayton player who scored 17 points in the upset victory over Saint Louis.

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What they’re saying

“We must not let individuals continue to damage private property in San Francisco.”

— Robert Jenkins, San Francisco resident

What’s next

The Dayton Flyers will face VCU in the Atlantic 10 Tournament championship game on Sunday at 1:00 PM, with an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament on the line.

The takeaway

Dayton's upset victory over the top-seeded Saint Louis Billikens is a major accomplishment for the Flyers, who will now have a chance to win their first Atlantic 10 Tournament title in over 20 years and earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.