Dayton Upsets Saint Louis, Advances to Atlantic 10 Championship Final

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – The University of Dayton Flyers secured a stunning 70-69 victory over the No. 1 seeded Saint Louis Billikens in the semifinal round of the Atlantic 10 Championship on Saturday afternoon at PPG Paints Arena. With the win, Dayton (22-10) advances to the championship final.

Derkack Leads the Charge

Senior Jordan Derkack delivered a standout performance, scoring 28 points and grabbing six rebounds to lead the Flyers.

Dramatic Finish

The game culminated in a thrilling sequence. Jacob Conner’s three-pointer with 11 seconds remaining gave Dayton a 68-66 lead. Saint Louis’s Robbie Avila responded with a three-pointer of his own to regain the lead at 69-68 with six seconds left. After Derkack’s layup attempt fell short, Amaël L’Etang secured a crucial putback with just 0.6 seconds remaining to clinch the upset victory.

Flyers’ Comeback

Dayton erased an 11-point deficit with a 17-2 run spanning 8 minutes and 33 seconds of game time. This surge propelled the Flyers to their largest lead of the game, 56-51.

Key Contributors

Senior Javon Bennett added 17 points and a season-high four steals. De’Shayne Montgomery contributed 10 points in the first half. Derkack was 12-of-15 from the free throw line.

Statistical Highlights

Dayton shot 34.5% (19-of-55) from the floor and 33.3% (8-of-24) from three-point range. Saint Louis shot 43.1% (22-of-55) from the field and 35.7% (10-of-28) from behind the arc. Dayton attempted 29 free throws, converting 82.8% (24-of-29), while Saint Louis was 88.2% (15-of-17) from the line.

Key Numbers

• 10:36 – Time between field goals for Saint Louis during Dayton’s 17-2 run.
• :11 – Seconds remaining when Jacob Conner hit the go-ahead three-pointer.
• .06 – Time left when Amaël L’Etang secured the winning basket.
• 12 – Free throws made by Jordan Derkack.
• 22 – Javon Bennett’s average points per game in the Atlantic 10 Tournament.
• 4 – Assists for L’Etang.

Up Next

Dayton will face the winner of the No. 2 seed VCU and No. 3 seed Saint Joseph’s in the Atlantic 10 Championship final on Sunday, March 15, at 1 p.m. The game will be broadcast on CBS and WHIO Radio.