Inside The Panthers

Pitt G Nike Sibande Placed Third at College Slam Dunk Championship

Nike Sibande competed as a Pitt Panther for one last time.

Stephen Thompson

Pitt G Nike Sibande Placed Third at College Slam Dunk Championship
Pitt G Nike Sibande Placed Third at College Slam Dunk Championship /
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PITTSBURGH -- Pitt Panthers senior Nike Sibande got one last chance to sport the blue and gold on a basketball court this week at the Kings Hawaiian Slam Dunk Championship at the 34th annual State Farm College Slam Dunk & 3-Point Championships in Houston, Texas. 

Sibande's athleticism that he showed off routinely while at Pitt took center stage as he soared to a third place finish at the event with a final score of 92, falling eight points short of the 100's that earned Radford's Shaquan Jules and Georgia Southern's Jamari Brown a share of first place. 

With his first dunk, Sibande climbed over the head of a spectator for the flush, earning a score of 49, which was the highest of any participant in the opening round. 

Sibande's next two rounds were plagued by misses, which held him back. He attempted to throw down a two-handed reverse with his first attempt of the second round before slamming home an impressive self-alley-ooped windmill dunk. 

In the final round, Sibande tried to bring the house down by throwing the ball off the backboard for a self-assist before dunking, but missed. He settled for another self-pass and windmill to close a successful Dunk Championship. 

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Stephen Thompson
STEPHEN THOMPSON

Stephen Thompson graduated with a bachelor's degree in communications and political science from Pitt in April 2022 after spending four years as a sports writer and editor at The Pitt News, the University of Pittsburgh's independent, student-run newspaper.  He primarily worked the Pitt men's basketball beat, and filled in on coverage of football, volleyball, softball, gymnastics and lacrosse, in addition to other sports as needed. His work at The Pitt News has won awards from the Pennsylvania News Media Association and Associated College Press.  During the spring and summer of 2021, Stephen interned for Pittsburgh Sports Now, covering baseball in western Pennsylvania. Hailing from Washington D.C., family ties have cultivated a love of Boston's professional teams and Pitt athletics, and a fascination with sports in general.  You can reach Stephen by email at stephenethompson00@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter. Read his latest work:

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