Tiffany Sibley
By John Ring
Tiffany Sibley scored points, was on winning teams and
had such a great basketball career at Galesburg High School, it resulted in her
making the Hall of Fame.
Just one thing was missing.
State.
ÒIf it wasnÕt for Limestone, we would have made
State,Ó said Sibley shortly before her induction at John Thiel Gym. ÒLimestone
stopped us every time. I keep telling everybody about that. It seems like every
day I think about it.Ó
Tiffany Sibley was a scoring machine. She was instant
offense. She could carry a team.
She was arguably one of the greatest Silver Streak
basketball players of all time before anyone cared. Sibley was a blip on the
radar screen compared to her future counterparts, such as Sarah Larson, Amanda
Gunter and Sarah Pacheco. She graduated in 1992. SheÕs just now making the Hall
of Fame.
ÒYou know, the funny thing about it is for some
reason, I thought I might make it this year. I really did. My friends would say
I was having dreams about it but IÕd say no, no, no I think IÕm going to make
it this year.Ó
Check out the record book and her name is everywhere.
Sibley averaged 24.4 points a game as a junior, scoring 683 points which is
still a record for a junior. She averaged 23. 7 her senior year and finished
with a career total of 1,806. That was on top of the chart until Larson broke
it seven years later.
Tiffany hit 109 three-point shots, shot 72 per cent
from the free throw line, still holds a school-record for 17 fieldgoals in one
game (against Rock Island Alleman) and had the single-game scoring record of 39
which Larson beat by two points in 1999.
ÒRecords are made to be broken,Ó said Sibley. ÒI came
back to one of the games and Sarah Larson was close to breaking the career record
so I was aware of it.Ó
Her Silver Streak teams were pretty good, too. In
1991, the Streaks were 22-6 and won the Western Big 6 conference. But Limestone
beat them twice that year, 54-49 during the regular season and then 71-41 in
the Sectionals.
In SibleyÕs senior year, Galesburg was 22-8, knocked
off Peoria Richwoods 74-70 in the Sectional semifinal but lost against
Limestone 57-46 in the Sectional Championship.
Today, 13 years after graduation, Tiffany Sibley looks
in mid-season form. ÒI had surgery on my elbow this year, I tore a tendon at
work. I havenÕt been able to play this year but later IÕll join a league.Ó
She still refers to Evan Massey as ÒMr. Massey.Ó Now a
resident of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, she still finds her way back home a lot.
ÒOklahoma City is okay but IÕm still stuck in the north.Ó
She only has one regret about her basketball career.
ÒI wish I had been on some of those later teams so we
could have won a championship for Mr. Massey because he deserves it. Mr. Massey
is very laid back and I was talking to the Cadwell twins here (Melissa and Melinda)
and we would talk about when Mr. Massey would yell, weÕd say ÔMr. Massey, you
donÕt have to do that, youÕre such a calm guy you can get your point across
without that.Õ I enjoyed playing for him. You just did what you had to do. We
all knew our roles and it was pretty simple.Ó
She gets asked frequently about her career and what
she has done after high school on her return trips to Galesburg. ÒWhen I get
back, itÕs like ÔDid you play in the WNBA?Õ and I say no, no, no, nothing like
that. But I always try and make a Streaks game and see the gym again.Ó
Tiffany found out about her HOF induction from her
Dad. ÒHe was pretty excited and he said it was long overdue.Ó
It certainly was. Sibley was awfully good and in some
ways, was a pioneer for the girls basketball program with her prolific scoring.
But, as they say, better late than never.
.