The Dayton Flyers came into this game looking to defeat the number one seed St. Louis Billikens. They did it, but not in the way anyone anticipated.

Dayton Needs To Keep Rolling To Get Into NCAA Tournament

The Flyers had no shot of getting into the tournament with a loss against St. Louis. They stepped up and found a way.

Mar 14, 2026; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Dayton Flyers guard Jordan Derkack (4) reacts after makhg a three point basket against the Saint Louis Billikens during the second half in an Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament Semifinal game at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

St. Louis shot out of a cannon to begin the game. The Billikens led 11–2 before the first four minutes had elapsed.

Dayton kept battling, as a desperate team does. They whittled the St. Louis lead down to three at halftime. The score heading into the locker room was 36–33 in favor of the Billikens.

The Flyers were led in the first half by junior guard De’Shayne Montgomery, who chipped in ten points. He ultimately finished with 10 points, seven rebounds, and one assist.

St. Louis was spurred by sophomore guard Amari McCottry, who scored nine points in the close first half.

All Time Ending To A Wild Game

The second half provided some fireworks. With the teams going back and forth, it was hard for either to pull away.

Dayton took the lead back from the Billikens with a three from senior guard Jordan Derkack with 8:06 remaining. The 8.8 PPG scorer contributed far more than that, finishing with 28 points.

Mar 14, 2026; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Dayton Flyers guard Jordan Derkack (4) shoots a free throw against the Saint Louis Billikens during the second half in an Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament Semifinal game at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

From that moment on, the game was up for grabs. The teams traded baskets, and the outcome remained in question until the end. Neither team held a lead of five or more in the final five minutes.

Then came the final 26 seconds. Dayton senior guard Keonte Jones made two huge free throws, though they still trailed by one. Timeout, Flyers.

St. Louis was in control—then they weren’t. The Billikens needed to inbound the ball to force a Dayton foul. The problem? They still needed to actually inbound it.

As the ref handed the ball to St. Louis big man Robbie Avila, the five-second clock started: five, four, three, two, one… and when it was over, Avila hadn’t been able to inbound the ball, turning it over to Dayton.

The Flyers only needed a two-point bucket to take the lead. Instead, they went for three—and nailed it. Now up by two with 11 seconds remaining, the Billikens needed some magic.

That magic came in the form of Avila. He pulled up from three and sank it, putting the Billikens up 69–68. Surely it was over, right? Not quite—Dayton still had a shot to win.

That’s exactly what they did. Forced to go the length of the floor, Derkack put up a contested layup—and missed. That gave 7’1″ Amael L’Etang a chance, and he tipped it in with 0.6 seconds remaining.

Mar 14, 2026; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Dayton Flyers guard Javon Bennett (0) and forward Amael L’etang (29) celebrate after a game winning basket by L’etang to defeat the Saint Louis Billikens in an Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament Semifinal game at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

That gave St. Louis a chance at a heave from near half court, but it was off the mark. Dayton won 70–69.

End Of My Dayton Rant

The Flyers needed this win to keep their tournament chances alive. They now move on to face the winner of St. Joseph’s and VCU. Can Dayton steal a bid and punch their ticket to the tournament? Find out tomorrow.