PITTSBURGH, Pa. — Buddy Simmons II dropped a team-best 20 points, all in the second half, but the St. Bonaventure men's basketball team fell to Dayton, 68-63, in the quarterfinals of the Atlantic 10 Tournament on Friday (March 13) at PPG Paints Arena.  
 
Simmons II shot 6-for-10 (2-for-4 3PT) from the field and 6-for-6 from the free throw line. Frank Mitchell tallied 16 points on 6-for-14 shooting and hauled in six rebounds. Daniel Egbuniwe posted nine points and seven rebounds, while Andrew Osasuyi added eight points and two blocks.  
 
FIRST HALF
The Flyers (22-10) jumped out to a 6-0 lead just 1:22 into the contest, until a hook shot from Mitchell sparked a 9-2 surge that put the Bonnies (17-17) ahead 9-8 with 12:03 remaining. 
 
Dayton fired back with a 13-6 run to take a 21-15 advantage at the 6:04 mark. Bonaventure then put together a 6-1 spurt, rounded off by a Cayden Charles lay-in that tied the score at 22 with 3:30 to go.  
 
UD took a four-point lead twice in the final minutes of the frame, but a pair of free throws from Egbuniwe kept SBU's deficit at one possession, 30-27, heading into the break. Mitchell led the Bonnies with 12 points at halftime.  
 
SECOND HALF 
Egbuniwe nailed a triple to deadlock the score at 30 less than a minute in. After Dayton hit a pair of free throws the next possession, Simmons II knocked down a jumper to pull the Bonnies even again.  
 
Bonaventure took its first lead off the frame, 39-38, after Simmons II connected on a three with 15:53 left. The Flyers took their advantage back, until the Bonnies once again tied the matchup, 44-44, through another Simmons II triple with 12:05 to go. 
 
Dayton outscored Bonaventure by six over the next 6:41 to hold a 57-51 edge, yet the Bonnies would not quit. Simmons II later finished in the lane to put SBU down two, 57-55, with 4:46 to go. Following a Dayton score, Dasonte Bowen kept the margin at a bucket with a drive to the rim.  
 
With 51 seconds remaining, Simmons II pulled the Bonnies within two one final time, 65-63, but they would not threaten any closer. The Flyers sank three of their last four free throws to secure the victory.  
 
NOTES:

• Frank Mitchell finished the season with 346 rebounds, the most by a St. Bonaventure player in a season since Glenn Price in 1973-74. It is the fifth-most rebounds in a season by any St. Bona's player.
• With 94 three-pointers, Buddy Simmons II tied Marques Green for the fourth most three-pointers in a season in school history.
• Dasonte Bowen's 160 assists were the most by a Bonnie since Kyle Lofton's 176 in 2021-22.
• Andrew Osasuyi and Joe Grahovac finished the season with 55 and 54 blocks, respectively.