Sports

MIKE BROWN: Ohio State women’s basketball star Jacy Sheldon has a Mahoning County connection

By Mike Brown Mahoning Matters
Ohio State Buckeyes guard Jacy Sheldon (4) makes the game winning shot against North Carolina Tar Heels guard Deja Kelly (25) during the fourth quarter of the NCAA second round game.
Ohio State Buckeyes guard Jacy Sheldon (4) makes the game winning shot against North Carolina Tar Heels guard Deja Kelly (25) during the fourth quarter of the NCAA second round game. Kyle Robertson Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

This season, Ohio State sported one of the country’s top NCAA women’s basketball teams again.

The Buckeyes, who will play in the Elite 8 today against Virginia Tech for a trip to the Final Four, have a local connection to Mahoning County.

Star Jacy Sheldon was one of the top scorers and leaders of the Buckeyes. She is the granddaughter of former West Branch head football coach Jim Laut, who led the Warriors to the 1994 Division III state championship. Laut also is a member of the Ohio High School Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame.

Sheldon hit the game-winning shot in the Buckeyes’ 71-69 second-round win over North Carolina, which put Ohio State and led the team to a 73-61 win over Connecticut in the team’s Sweet 16 game Saturday.

Sheldon, a senior All-American for the Buckeyes, averaged 12 points per game after returning from an injury that sidelined her for an extended period of the 2022-2023 season.

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This story was originally published March 27, 2023 at 5:00 AM.