ThomasCostello
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Remembering Jacy Sheldon legacy with the Ohio State women’s basketball team
ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
When people discuss the greats of the Ohio State program, Sheldon’s name must be in the conversation.
For all but one basketball team each season, the final game ends with some level of disappointment. Proceeding that final buzzer, where one team is celebrating and the other goes right into hindsight mode, the tension surrounding the team is thick. It can be felt in the air.
In the case of Ohio State women’s basketball, it was a final defeat that came earlier than the team anticipated.
Following the game, as at least five Buckeyes started grasping the notion that their NCAA basketball careers were over, guard Jacy Sheldon was her usual stoic self.
“It still hasn’t hit me,” she said.
That’s the normal reply from the guard when it comes to any sort of personal milestone. Whether it's scoring her 2,000th career point on Friday against the Maine Black Bears, which she had no idea was even close, or the emotions surrounding Senior Day, Sheldon is always focused on the game.
The same rang true following her last game in scarlet and gray, Sunday against the Duke Blue Devils.
“It’s just disappointing because I feel like we have a lot of regret, didn’t play our best game,” said Sheldon. “Duke played a great game, but I think it hurts a little more that we didn’t go out there and play our best game today.”
Ohio State didn’t play its best game, but it played one of its best first quarters. The Buckeyes ran up an early 16-point lead on the Blue Devils, 15 minutes into the game. Sheldon had the kind of stat line that Scarlet and Gray fans are used to seeing, scoring 7 points, grabbing 2 rebounds, and dishing 3 assists.
It looked like the AP All-American Sheldon and the Buckeyes were on their way to a third straight Sweet Sixteen appearance. Unfortunately for Ohio State, things began to crumble. Shots stopped falling, Duke’s rebounding improved, and fouls racked up. As fellow graduate seniors like guard Celeste Taylor and forward Rebeka Mikulášiková fouled out late in the game, Sheldon continued playing, which is part of her Buckeye legacy.
Sheldon was on the floor for all 40 minutes, which she’s done 21 times in her 130 Ohio State appearances. This season alone she logged at least 40 minutes 10 times, and in two overtime games against the Penn State Nittany Lions and Iowa Hawkeyes, she hit 45.
Over the years of Sheldon’s Ohio State tenure, her work ethic was second to none. When head coach Kevin McGuff took Sheldon off the court in games, he’d hear from the guard that she wanted back out there. Despite the thousands of hours logged as a Buckeye, Sheldon never seemed tired.
Last season, when the guard was recovering from a foot injury, the training and medical staff had exercises Sheldon designed to get her heart rate up, but it was nearly impossible with how much work she put into her conditioning. It’s these kinds of traits that made Sheldon the type of competitor that fans adored.
After Friday’s NCAA Tournament First Round win, Sheldon sat with her family in the stands to watch the game between Duke and Richmond, but it couldn’t last long. During halftime, a line formed to get pictures and autographs from the guard, who was standing outside of the second row. The queue of people went all the way up the section and into the Schottenstein Center concourse.
The Cleveland-born but Columbus-raised wasn’t only a favorite for fans in the stands because of where she came from or how much she played. When Sheldon was on the court, which was most of the time, fans knew she was going to give everything.
As Duke’s lead increased, Sheldon continued to do everything she could, even if the shots weren’t falling. The guard ended the game with 13 points, below her season and career averages, but it doesn’t tarnish her place with the names that stick out in program history, like Kelsey Mitchell, Jantel Lavender, and Katie Smith; just ask her teammates.
“If you know Ohio State, you should know her name,” said guard Rikki Harris.
Sheldon’s name is littered throughout the Ohio State women’s basketball record book. She leaves as the program’s sixth-leading scorer, eighth in three-point field goals made, and sixth in steals. She is also tied for the program’s single-game record for steals in a game with 11, which she set against the Boston College Eagles.
Now, Sheldon’s work with the Buckeyes on the court is over. With a likely spot in the WNBA Draft, Sheldon moves into the next chapter of her life. Away from the day-to-day of being an Ohio State player and no longer playing in front of her parents and sister Emmy, she’s left an indelible mark in Buckeyes lore.
After Sunday’s game, Sheldon was asked how she wanted to be remembered and, like usual, the focus shifted away from herself. The OSU legend put the attention back on her teammated and the Buckeyes who will follow.
“I would just say someone that gave it their all to this university and represented it well,” said Sheldon. “It’s a pleasure, all of us had the pleasure of playing here, so I think just representing it the right and always giving it our all every game, which we do and they’re going to continue to do. That’s what we do here at Ohio State.”
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ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
When people discuss the greats of the Ohio State program, Sheldon’s name must be in the conversation.
For all but one basketball team each season, the final game ends with some level of disappointment. Proceeding that final buzzer, where one team is celebrating and the other goes right into hindsight mode, the tension surrounding the team is thick. It can be felt in the air.
In the case of Ohio State women’s basketball, it was a final defeat that came earlier than the team anticipated.
Following the game, as at least five Buckeyes started grasping the notion that their NCAA basketball careers were over, guard Jacy Sheldon was her usual stoic self.
“It still hasn’t hit me,” she said.
That’s the normal reply from the guard when it comes to any sort of personal milestone. Whether it's scoring her 2,000th career point on Friday against the Maine Black Bears, which she had no idea was even close, or the emotions surrounding Senior Day, Sheldon is always focused on the game.
The same rang true following her last game in scarlet and gray, Sunday against the Duke Blue Devils.
“It’s just disappointing because I feel like we have a lot of regret, didn’t play our best game,” said Sheldon. “Duke played a great game, but I think it hurts a little more that we didn’t go out there and play our best game today.”
Ohio State didn’t play its best game, but it played one of its best first quarters. The Buckeyes ran up an early 16-point lead on the Blue Devils, 15 minutes into the game. Sheldon had the kind of stat line that Scarlet and Gray fans are used to seeing, scoring 7 points, grabbing 2 rebounds, and dishing 3 assists.
It looked like the AP All-American Sheldon and the Buckeyes were on their way to a third straight Sweet Sixteen appearance. Unfortunately for Ohio State, things began to crumble. Shots stopped falling, Duke’s rebounding improved, and fouls racked up. As fellow graduate seniors like guard Celeste Taylor and forward Rebeka Mikulášiková fouled out late in the game, Sheldon continued playing, which is part of her Buckeye legacy.
Sheldon was on the floor for all 40 minutes, which she’s done 21 times in her 130 Ohio State appearances. This season alone she logged at least 40 minutes 10 times, and in two overtime games against the Penn State Nittany Lions and Iowa Hawkeyes, she hit 45.
Over the years of Sheldon’s Ohio State tenure, her work ethic was second to none. When head coach Kevin McGuff took Sheldon off the court in games, he’d hear from the guard that she wanted back out there. Despite the thousands of hours logged as a Buckeye, Sheldon never seemed tired.
Last season, when the guard was recovering from a foot injury, the training and medical staff had exercises Sheldon designed to get her heart rate up, but it was nearly impossible with how much work she put into her conditioning. It’s these kinds of traits that made Sheldon the type of competitor that fans adored.
After Friday’s NCAA Tournament First Round win, Sheldon sat with her family in the stands to watch the game between Duke and Richmond, but it couldn’t last long. During halftime, a line formed to get pictures and autographs from the guard, who was standing outside of the second row. The queue of people went all the way up the section and into the Schottenstein Center concourse.
The Cleveland-born but Columbus-raised wasn’t only a favorite for fans in the stands because of where she came from or how much she played. When Sheldon was on the court, which was most of the time, fans knew she was going to give everything.
As Duke’s lead increased, Sheldon continued to do everything she could, even if the shots weren’t falling. The guard ended the game with 13 points, below her season and career averages, but it doesn’t tarnish her place with the names that stick out in program history, like Kelsey Mitchell, Jantel Lavender, and Katie Smith; just ask her teammates.
“If you know Ohio State, you should know her name,” said guard Rikki Harris.
Sheldon’s name is littered throughout the Ohio State women’s basketball record book. She leaves as the program’s sixth-leading scorer, eighth in three-point field goals made, and sixth in steals. She is also tied for the program’s single-game record for steals in a game with 11, which she set against the Boston College Eagles.
Now, Sheldon’s work with the Buckeyes on the court is over. With a likely spot in the WNBA Draft, Sheldon moves into the next chapter of her life. Away from the day-to-day of being an Ohio State player and no longer playing in front of her parents and sister Emmy, she’s left an indelible mark in Buckeyes lore.
After Sunday’s game, Sheldon was asked how she wanted to be remembered and, like usual, the focus shifted away from herself. The OSU legend put the attention back on her teammated and the Buckeyes who will follow.
“I would just say someone that gave it their all to this university and represented it well,” said Sheldon. “It’s a pleasure, all of us had the pleasure of playing here, so I think just representing it the right and always giving it our all every game, which we do and they’re going to continue to do. That’s what we do here at Ohio State.”
Continue reading...