Dayton Flyers guard Jordan Derkack. Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Dayton, Saint Louis set high mark for March Madness to live up to with wild A-10 semifinal sequence

By Eric Smithling | Last updated Mar 14, 2026 4:48 PM ET

March has already gone mad.

On Saturday, the Dayton Flyers (23-10, 12-6 in Atlantic 10) and Saint Louis Billikens (28-5, 15-3 in A-10) authored the best sequence of this year's conference tournaments so far in the A-10 semifinals, a thrilling 70-69 Dayton victory that featured three lead changes in the final 14 seconds.

Dayton, Saint Louis combine for thrilling A-10 semifinal finish

The teams traded blows late in the second half, with Dayton backup senior forward Jacob Conner draining his only three of the game with 14 seconds left, giving Dayton a two-point lead. Saint Louis senior forward Robbie Avila followed by coolly making a 27-footer, reclaiming the lead for the Billikens.

Dayton got the last laugh, however, as center Amael L'Etang tipped in Jordan Derkack's missed layup with 0.6 seconds left.

THIS WHOLE SEQUENCE.

IT IS DEFINITELY MARCH. pic.twitter.com/eraAwzVoa0
— CBS Sports College Basketball (@CBSSportsCBB) March 14, 2026

The frenetic sequence is everything that's great about March basketball, from unsung heroes making big shots, stars coming up big and buzzer-beating dramatics.

The result could also have a significant trickle-down effect. The A-10 is a projected two-bid league in Joe Lunardi's most recent ESPN bracketology update (March 14, 4 p.m. ET), with Saint Louis and the VCU Rams (25-7, 15-3 in A-10) expected to earn nods. But if Dayton receives the conference's automatic berth, the bubble will shrink, giving teams near the cut line one fewer spot to fight over.

That's bad news for teams including the Miami (Ohio) RedHawks (31-1, 18-0 in MAC), who dropped to Lunardi's Last Four in as a result of the Dayton win, and VCU, the last team in the field according to CBS Sports' bracket prediction.

As thrilling as Saturday's finish was, it could be even more important based on the result of the A-10 final. March already has a signature moment. More will follow, but we'll be lucky if any are half as good.

Eric Smithling

Eric Smithling is a writer based in New Orleans, LA, whose byline also appears on Athlon Sports. He has been with Yardbarker since September 2022, primarily covering the NFL and college football, but also the NBA, WNBA, men’s and women’s college basketball, NHL, tennis and golf. He holds a film studies degree from the University of New Orleans

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