It’s ‘good to be home’ for Sibert, but he falls in 33-Point Contest at UD Arena

Chris Moore, a 1,006-point scorer at Charleston Southern from 2004-08 who played for the Primetime Players in the TBT, made his 11th 3-pointer less than a second before Sibert.

The players shot at opposite ends of the court. They each had one basketball and a rebounder. For Sibert, the rebounder was his former Dayton teammate Jeremiah Bonsu, who helped Joey Gruden coach the Dayton alumni team, the Red Scare, in the TBT this year. The first player to make 11 3-pointers won.

“It’s frustrating,” Sibert said. “I was right there. I wish I had it, but at the end of the day, I was just blessed to have this opportunity to be here. I’m excited I was able to come out here and compete. Jeremiah did a great job rebounding for me. It’s a great event.”

Omar Strong, who played for the B1 Ballers in the tournament, beat Moore in the finals and took home the $33,333 prize. Strong averaged 15.1 points in two seasons at Texas Southern (2011-13) and was the Southwestern Athletic Conference Player of the Year in 2013.

This was Sibert’s second visit to UD Arena since the three-year renovation project ended in 2019. It was his first time playing in front of a crowd at the arena since 2015 when he made his famous 3-pointer in the final minute against Boise State in the First Four.

“That was even more incentive to do well,” Sibert said. “I’m glad I at least advanced. The fans came out in support. It’s always good to be home.”

Sibert shot on the opposite end of the court from where he made the shot against Boise States but chose a similar spot on the wing. It’s his favorite spot to shoot 3-pointers. He beat Jeff Ledbetter, of the Money Team, in the first round.

Sibert played for Dayton from 2013-15, leading the team in scoring both seasons. Bonsu joined the roster as a walk-on about halfway through Sibert’s senior season. This was Bonsu’s first trip back to UD Arena. He spent the last two seasons as a graduate assistant at Arkansas.

“It was really fun,” Bonsu said. “It was fun to be back. It’s amazing to be back in the building. I love it so much. Jordan was great. I wish he would have won.”

Bonsu wanted to win one more time as a Flyer because the team lost the final three games of his senior season in 2017. That still bugs him.

When Sibert was looking for a rebounder — an important job when seconds count — he jumped at the chance.

“I’m the best rebounder in the country,” Bonsu said. “That ball’s not going to hit the ground a whole lot. Being a manager turned walk-on and also a GA and a player-development intern in the NBA, you learn how to rebound.”