Game Recap: Dayton Flyers fall prey to Jaylen Adams, St. Bonaventure

OK, Dayton fans. Don't panic.

Yes, the Flyers dropped to 21-5 after a 79-72 loss to St. Bonaventure, the first time Dayton has lost two in a row since 2014, incidentally the last time it had lost at home in conference. But this has been no normal week for Dayton, facing off against St. Joe's and the Bonnies.

Dayton is still without Kendall Pollard and his 11 points per game. That is not an easy amount to make up for, and certainly not when he provides so much floor leadership.

The Flyers should still be going dancing, despite these two losses. The rest of the season showed that this team belongs in the NCAA Tournament, and it should not be a squeaker like last year. This team is miles ahead of that team, which was one of the best stories of the season.

Dayton may now be a game behind VCU for the conference lead, but the goal should be getting the double bye in the conference tournament, and making it to the NCAA Tournament healthy and ready to play. The Flyers have so much experience winning on that stage, that just making it back should elevate their play.

Deep breath; it will be OK.

Don't panic, Atlantic-10. This is probably one of the best things that could happen for the league.

St. Joe's needed that win earlier in the week. St. Bonaventure probably needed this win more than the Hawks. The Bonnies have had a great season, but every time they faced a top 100 team out of conference, they failed to pick up the win they needed. Getting another strong victory in the league should help them, or at least give them a better case for inclusion come March.

The league is struggling to establish itself through depth, as the power conferences can. VCU missed its chances early in the year, and therefore, winning the conference's regular season title can be a boost to their hopes. St. Joe's has some of the wins it needs, but they are relying on the likes of Princeton and Temple to keep it up. And now the Bonnies can make it four teams that have a shot of being in the discussion around a very soft bubble.

Over the last five weeks, the Bonnies have scored wins over Rhode Island, Richmond, St. Joe's, George Washington and now Dayton. They are now right in the mix to do damage in the conference tournament, and potentially lock in at least a second team from the league.

The league needs someone other than Dayton to step up and cause the country to take notice, so that it won't be the seventh team from the Big XII that sneaks into the tournament. It needs a team like the Bonnies to prove that they also deserve a chance to dance.

And if it does come to pass that the Bonnies make the tournament, they have no one to thank more than Jalyen Adams, who has been the star as St. Bonaventure has cut its recent swath through the league.

Adams scored 31 points Saturday afternoon, and went 5-for-9 from 3-point range, helping to seal the win late for the Bonnies. He added six rebounds and six assists.

Over the last six games, as the Bonnies have gone 5-1, Adams has averaged 20.5 points, and 5.5 assists. He has shot 52.5 percent from 3-point range, and just been unstoppable on the offensive end of the floor (and he won our player of the week during that stretch).

If there is a player that should be considered a dark horse to be considered for first team all-conference, it is Adams, and it is hard to deny that he has earned it lately.

The most important thing that St. Bonaventure can do now, is win the games that they are supposed to win. That means no more slips like occurred against LaSalle. That means closing out Saint Louis, UMass and Duquesne. It means not getting ahead of themselves and looking at that St. Joe's game that is looming big on the schedule.

Just win, Bonnies.

And everyone else? Don't panic.