|
 Sibert was saddled with four fouls and having a rough night
offensively. But, with the Flyers' season on the brink, the senior
guard delivered.
Sibert drained a 3-pointer from the left wing with 35 seconds
remaining to lift Dayton to a 56-55 victory over the Broncos before
12,592 raucous fans at University of Dayton Arena.
"He's a cornerstone player," said Flyers coach Archie Miller. "He
was able to stick with it, even when he picked up his fourth foul.
He's a winner. All our guys are."
The Flyers (26-8) overcame a 13-point deficit on Wednesday to
advance to face No. 6 seed Providence in an East Regional
second-round game Friday night in Columbus, Ohio.
Sibert scored 13 points in 24 minutes, his second-fewest minutes
this season. But, Sibert's five points in the final 1:02 made the
difference.
"It was kind of difficult with four fouls trying to get into the
rhythm of the game," said Sibert. "I just wanted to get in there and
make a shot."
Boise State senior guard Derrick Marks scored 23 points, and junior
guard Montigo Alford added 11 for the Broncos.
"Dayton made some big plays down the stretch," said Boise State
coach Leon Rice. "They made big, big shots in the final minutes. And
we just couldn't get a stop."
Sophomore forward Kendall Pollard led the Flyers with 17 points.
Pollard missed two free throws with 14 seconds left to give Boise
State (25-9) a chance, but Marks' desperation jumper fell short at
the buzzer.
Dayton trailed by nine at halftime but began the second half with an
11-5 run, reducing Boise State's lead to 34-31 with 15:41 left.
Moments later, consecutive 3-pointers by Scoochie Smith gave Dayton
its first lead since the 6:04 mark of the first half. The sophomore
guard finished with 11 points.
The Broncos responded with an 11-0 run to go ahead 45-37, while the
Flyers went nearly five minutes without scoring.
Sibert went to the bench with his fourth foul with 7:52 left.
However, he returned in time to rescue the Flyers.
After Alford hit two free throws to put Boise State ahead by two,
Sibert followed with his game-winner.
[to top of second column] |
Until the final two minutes, Boise State maintained its composure
amid a hostile environment on Wednesday.
"I don't think their home court advantage mattered much," said
Marks. "It was loud at certain points in the game. It was a good
atmosphere."
The Broncos silenced the Dayton faithful in the first half.
Consecutive 3-pointers by Alford and Marks highlighted a 14-0 run by
Boise State. Marks led the Broncos with 11 points in the first half,
helping them build a 29-20 halftime lead.
"We were having a little bit of a pity party (at halftime)," said
Miller. "I think right out of the gates in the second half you saw
the toughness, the energy on defense, and we got some stops."
NOTES: The last time a team played an NCAA Tournament on its home
court was when Syracuse and Arizona did so in 1987. ... Dayton,
which made its 16th NCAA Tournament appearance, went 16-0 at home
during the regular season. ... The Broncos played in their seventh
NCAA Tournament, and they remain winless in the tourney. ... The
last time the Flyers played an NCAA Tournament game at UD Arena was
in 1985, when they lost to eventual national champion Villanova
51-49. ... Despite playing on its home court, Dayton was considered
the visiting team Wednesday and wore red road jerseys because it was
slotted below Boise State by the tournament selection committee. ...
Dayton improved to 18-17 all-time in the NCAA Tournament. ... Marks
finished his career with 1,912 points, third all-time at Boise
State.
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