11/10/2021 basketball Edit

PSU Hoops rides red-hot Lundy, Sessoms to season opening win

Max Ralph • Happy Valley Insider

Staff Writer

Forward Seth Lundy got the action going in a big way with an early 3-pointer for coach Micah Shrewsberry’s first night on the Nittany Lions’ bench, and it was representative of most of the night for Penn State.

The Penguins went toe-to-toe with Shrewsberry’s squad for much of the first half, leading at times before Penn State went on a nice run around the nine-minute mark to get its first double-digit lead of the night.

Lundy and forward John Harrar led the way early, each totaling 10 points through the first half.

Penn State dominated out of the second-half gates, finding good looks at the rim and drilling its open looks from deep.

Youngstown State hung around, cutting the lead to single digits with less than 10 minutes to play, but strong offensive efforts from guard Sam Sessoms and Lundy powered the Nittany Lions.

Shrewsberry officially walked away from his first game as the head man with a 75-59 win over the Penguins.

OFFENSE RUNS THROUGH LUNDY AND SESSOMS

From the very first basket of the game, it became very clear Lundy is the focal point of Shrewsberry’s offense.

Lundy finished the night with a team-high 23 points on 9-for-15 shooting. He looked confident with the ball in his hands, and Shrewsberry kept calling his number throughout the night.

The junior forward was solid from deep, too, hitting three of five 3-pointers and was aggressive in the paint, including a pair of highlight-reel and-1s.

Shrewsberry acknowledged his top scorer was aggressive out of the gates, and that’s what he wants to see from No. 1

“That’s who we want him to be,” Shrewsberry said. “He’s at his best when he’s looking to score. But he’s also making the right decisions.

“The more we can play through him when he’s making good decisions like that, it really helps us.”

Lundy started last season out of the gates hot, too, before hitting cold streaks at times during the year.

With another good start to the 2021-22 campaign, having the confidence from himself and his teammates to keep shooting will help that consistency take the next step.

“It’s so important to have a coach who believes in you. Say you miss three shots at the start of the half, shoot the next one, it doesn’t matter. Next shot mentality. Shoot the next one like you made the last one,” Lundy said. “You just gotta have that mentality with shooting the ball and being aggressive and not letting anybody get you uncomfortable as the offensive player.

“I get to my spots, and I’ll score however I want. I don’t let anyone dictate where I go. It’s just my teammates believing in me and finding me when I’m open.”

Sessoms seems to be the clear point man for this offense, too. His ability to get to the hoop and court vision were on display all night, and he finished with eight assists to prove it.

The Philadelphia native was one of the biggest reasons the Nittany Lions staved off the Penguins’ second-half comeback, scoring on four-straight possessions at one point. He finished with 17 points, second only to Lundy.

“Seth and Sam got the hot hand, so we’re gonna go to those guys,” Shrewsberry said. “They made big shots for us down the stretch.”

The big night for Sessoms didn’t go unnoticed by his coach, either, who said tonight was a perfect example of the work the guard has put in lately.

“Eight assists and two turnovers is impressive,” Shrewsberry said. “He’s making plays at the rim, but when people come and help, he’s finding guys on the perimeter. I think that’s an area of growth for him from last year. He’s bought into what we’re trying to do.”

PENN STATE STRONG ON THE BOARDS

While Shrewsberry played around with some small-ball lineups and a couple of double-big-man looks, Penn State was consistent on the glass through it all.

The Nittany Lions racked up eight offensive rebounds in the first half alone, and those second-chance opportunities were important after a sluggish offensive start.

Shrewsberry has said he wants to see his team grind out wins in just the way it did tonight.

“Gritty not pretty, right?” Shrewsberry said following the win. “That’s who we want to be, and I thought we were that tonight.”

Penn State had the size advantage for most of the night, but even Lundy and guard Jalen Pickett were controlling the glass on occasion when the Nittany Lions went small.

The Nittany Lions out-rebounded Youngstown State 43-25, including 12 offensive boards. They capitalized for 12 second-chance points and 44 points in the paint on the night.

Harrar led the way with 14 total rebounds. His impressive performance was backed by a double-double with 16 points on 7-for-7 shooting.

TASTE OF SMALL BALL.....

Penn State rolled out a traditional lineup for most of the night with Harrar and forward Jalanni White in the middle, but Shrewsberry toyed with a small lineup at times Wednesday.

Lundy slotted into the five spot, while Dread, Pickett, guard Jaheam Cornwall and Sessoms rounded out the lineup.

The Nittany Lions defended the Penguins’ perimeter attack well, and they spread the offense out nicely with the lineup in.

A large portion of Penn State’s run to pull away in the first half came with the small lineup on the floor. It could be an interesting wrinkle this season, especially when Penn State faces a bigger team.