Dayton Flyers at Stanford Cardinal
· MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP - SOUTH REGION - SWEET 1682 - 72
No. 11 seed Dayton reaches Elite 8 for first time since 1984
An exhausted and foul-plagued Stanford simply couldn't keep up.
"We had 11 guys score in the game and from top to bottom, we kept coming and coming," Dayton coach Archie Miller said. "The way they shared the ball and moved the ball ... it was a true team effort. It's nice that on the biggest stage, we acted like ourselves."
Jordan Sibert scored 18 points and freshman Kendall Pollard added a season-high 12, as Dayton (26-10) made sure this one wasn't particularly close after slipping by in the first two rounds. The 6-foot-4 Sibert was spectacular, slashing to the basket and draining 3-pointers, to help the Flyers lead for almost the entire night.
Dayton showed its depth early, using a dozen players in the first half to wear down Stanford.
"They were relentless," Stanford coach Johnny Dawkins said. "That's the best way I can put it."
Dayton, the last remaining of the six Atlantic 10 teams in the field of 68, will play top overall seed Florida on Saturday. The Gators beat UCLA 79-68 late Thursday night.
Sibert finished 7 of 12 from the field, including 4 of 9 from 3-point range. He had plenty of help, including from Pollard, a 6-foot-6 guard who continually got to the basket and helped the Flyers stretch their lead in the first half.
"People have been doubting us and not giving us a lot of credit," Sibert said. "I know these guys. I know what coach wants. We all want to win. At the end of the day we all want to be considered winners."
Pollard was averaging two points per game, but Miller didn't hesitate to give him big minutes once he got hot.
"This guy's a big-time winner," Miller said. "He's not afraid of anything."
Devin Oliver scored 12 points and Matt Kavanaugh added 10. Dayton's bench had a 34-2 scoring advantage over Stanford.
The Flyers were good in just about every facet, shooting 48.3 percent (28 of 58) and dishing 19 assists on 28 field goals.
Foul trouble was an early theme, and a much bigger problem for Stanford.
The Cardinal rely on a six-man rotation. When the Flyers would lose a man to foul trouble, they simply replaced him with someone who was just as capable.
Things went from bad to worse for Stanford late in the first half. The Cardinal fell behind by double-digits and Dawkins was called for a technical foul. Dawkins said it was the right call.
"I was just more or less trying to get my team going," Dawkins said. "I thought we were losing momentum, we had already burned a timeout and it was a situation where I wanted to get our guys fired up."
It didn't work.
Sibert nailed a 3-pointer from the corner to give Dayton a 42-29 lead, though the Flyers had to settle for a 42-32 halftime advantage.
Stanford managed to pull within 64-58 after Powell made the bucket and free throw after being fouled, but the Cardinal couldn't get any closer. The Flyers simply kept sending waves at the Cardinal, scoring from inside and out in the final minutes.
Both teams had made impressive runs to make it to this point. Dayton had knocked off in-state rival Ohio State and Syracuse while Stanford has dispatched higher-seeds New Mexico and Kansas.
How can I watch Dayton vs. Stanford?
Recent Plays
| 2nd 0:00 | End of Game | 82 - 72 |
| 2nd 0:33 | Jordan Sibert Defensive Rebound. | 82 - 72 |
| 2nd 0:33 | Chasson Randle missed Three Point Jumper. | 82 - 72 |
| 2nd 0:36 | Schuyler Rimmer Offensive Rebound. | 82 - 72 |
| 2nd 0:36 | Chasson Randle missed Three Point Jumper. | 82 - 72 |
Statistics
DAY |
STAN |
|
|---|---|---|
| 28-58 | FG | 22-58 |
| 48 | Field Goal % | 38 |
| 8-23 | 3PT | 5-21 |
| 35 | Three Point % | 24 |
| 18-26 | FT | 23-33 |
| 69 | Free Throw % | 70 |
| 35 | Rebounds | 35 |
| 10 | Offensive Rebounds | 15 |
| 25 | Defensive Rebounds | 20 |
| 19 | Assists | 10 |
| 8 | Steals | 7 |
| 1 | Blocks | 5 |
| 10 | Turnovers | 12 |
| 1 | Team Turnovers | 0 |
| 10 | Total Turnovers | 12 |
| 0 | Technical Fouls | 1 |
| 0 | Total Technical Fouls | 1 |
| 0 | Flagrant Fouls | 0 |
| 0 | Points Off Turnovers | 0 |
| 0 | Fast Break Points | 0 |
| 0 | Points in Paint | 0 |
| 25 | Fouls | 24 |
Game Information
Location: Memphis, TN
Capacity:
2025-26 Atlantic 10 Conference Standings
| TEAM | CONF | GB | OVER |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saint Louis | 15-3 | - | 29-6 |
| VCU | 15-3 | - | 28-8 |
| Saint Joseph's | 13-5 | 2 | 24-12 |
| Dayton | 12-6 | 3 | 25-12 |
| George Mason | 11-7 | 4 | 23-10 |
| Davidson | 10-8 | 5 | 20-14 |
| Duquesne | 9-9 | 6 | 18-15 |
| George Washington | 8-10 | 7 | 19-16 |
| Fordham | 8-10 | 7 | 17-15 |
| Rhode Island | 7-11 | 8 | 16-16 |
| Richmond | 5-13 | 10 | 15-17 |
| La Salle | 5-13 | 10 | 9-23 |
| St. Bonaventure | 4-14 | 11 | 17-17 |
| Loyola Chicago | 4-14 | 11 | 9-24 |
2025-26 Atlantic Coast Conference Standings
| TEAM | CONF | GB | OVER |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duke | 17-1 | - | 35-3 |
| Virginia | 15-3 | 2 | 30-6 |
| Miami | 13-5 | 4 | 26-9 |
| North Carolina | 12-6 | 5 | 24-9 |
| Clemson | 12-6 | 5 | 24-11 |
| Louisville | 11-7 | 6 | 24-11 |
| NC State | 10-8 | 7 | 20-14 |
| Florida State | 10-8 | 7 | 18-15 |
| California | 9-9 | 8 | 22-12 |
| Stanford | 9-9 | 8 | 20-13 |
| Virginia Tech | 8-10 | 9 | 19-13 |
| SMU | 8-10 | 9 | 20-14 |
| Wake Forest | 7-11 | 10 | 18-17 |
| Syracuse | 6-12 | 11 | 15-17 |
| Pittsburgh | 5-13 | 12 | 13-20 |
| Notre Dame | 4-14 | 13 | 13-18 |
| Boston College | 4-14 | 13 | 11-20 |
| Georgia Tech | 2-16 | 15 | 11-20 |


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STAN