After building legacy at OSU, Jacy Sheldon hurts because of how NCAA Tournament ended
While waiting for what would be her final postgame press conference as a Buckeye, Jacy Sheldon looked at Cotie McMahon and apologized for failing to help her teammate as much as she could have in their NCAA Tournament second-round matchup.
No. 2 Ohio State's 75-63 upset loss at the hands of No. 7 seed Duke marked the last game of Sheldon's collegiate career.
After five seasons with the Buckeyes, Sheldon regretted the way it ended.
"It hurt a little more when we didn't go out there and play our best game, and that starts with me," Sheldon said. "I didn't go out there and play my best game. Hasn't sunk in yet, but I'm sure it will eventually."
Against the Blue Devils, Sheldon played all 40 minutes and had 13 points. McMahon led the Buckeyes with 27.
In the second half, as the Blue Devils completed their comeback, Sheldon was held to 6 points and one assist. Half of her point total came off a desperation 3-point basket in the final 15 seconds of the game, which accounted for the Buckeyes' only made 3-pointer.
"They did a good job of throwing us off the 3-point line," Sheldon said. "A lot of our looks were contested too. It's frustrating, but that's basketball."
Sheldon struggled beyond just going 1 for 4 from the 3-point line and 5 for 13 overall from the field. She was also unable to record a steal, something that happened only three times during the regular season.
Unable to make shots from beyond the arc, Ohio State relied heavily on getting the ball into the post. That game plan only found consistent success when the ball was in the hands of McMahon.
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"She played a great game inside," Sheldon said. "So, when I'm not being aggressive and I'm not scoring as much as I need to, that hurts us."
Overall, Sheldon's performance in her final game as a Buckeye was far from representative of the Dublin-native's career.
During her time with the Buckeyes, Sheldon scored 2,024 points, good for sixth on the program's all-time leading scorer list. She's also top-10 in field goals, 3-pointers, and steals.
Beyond the stats, Sheldon helped lead the Buckeyes run to the Elite Eight in the 2023 NCAA Tournament. She decided to come back for her final year of eligibility because she hoped to make it even farther.
"Jacy's invested so much in our program and been such an incredible representative of Ohio State women's basketball," Ohio State coach Kevin McGuff said. "It's really tough to see them go out this way. I think there's lessons for people like Jacy, who won't get a chance to play here again."
Ohio State will also be losing fifth-year player Rebeka Mikulasikova, who holds the all-time program record for most games played with 142.
Sheldon and Mikuslaskova formed the core of a nucleus back from last year, and with the addition of transfer Celeste Taylor, many expected the Buckeyes to make a deep run in the 2024 tournament.
Indeed, a 15-game winning streak during the second half of the regular season seemed like proof this group had what it took to go the distance, but Ohio State took a tumble after that.
"March is nothing to play with," McMahon said. "You're one and done. So, it's either you take it serious, or you're going home. ... I feel like we're leaving here with a lot of regrets, and that's not what we wanted to do."
Sheldon is expected to be a first-round pick in the WNBA draft in April. She'll hand over leadership of the Buckeyes to McMahon and Taylor Thierry, and just minutes after the painful loss to Duke, Sheldon reflected on that and on her own legacy.
"All of us had the pleasure of playing here," she said. "So, I think just representing it right and always giving it our all every game, which we do and they're going to continue to do."
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Jacy Sheldon finishes Ohio State career following NCAA Tournament
