Sheldon Jeter wins gold at 2019 Pan Am Games in Lima

Former Pitt forward Sheldon Jeter took part in the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru, as a member of the U.S. three-on-three men’s basketball team, and on Monday, he helped lead the American team to a 21-19 victory over Puerto Rico in the gold medal game.

The native of Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, contributed a team-high eight points to the victory on a 6-of-10 shooting performance. He was joined on the team by Dominique Jones, Kareem Maddox and Jon Octeus, and together, they handed Puerto Rico its first loss at the 2019 Pan American Games. Octeus, who previously played for Purdue, notably hit two late free throws to seal the game.

The U.S. team faced a difficult path to the gold medal game, as it went 2-3 in pool play. The team's two wins came against the Dominican Republic and Venezuela, but the Americans also suffered defeats at the hands of Argentina, Brazil and Puerto Rico.

Prior to 2019, three-on-three basketball had never been played at the Pan American Games. However, the sport has become increasingly popular over the past few years and will also be played at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. In addition, Jeter is not the only Pitt product who has excelled in the sport, as Jared Wilson-Frame had a successful run in the 3X3U National Championship in early April.

During the 2018-19 season, Jeter played for the Maine Red Claws, an NBA G League team affiliated with the Boston Celtics. He averaged 8.0 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 19.0 minutes per game over 41 games. He also ranked second on the team in three-point shooting, as he converted on 43.3 percent of his 157 shots from beyond the arc last season. He earned a spot on the U.S. team after taking part in the 3x3 Nationals in Las Vegas in May.