Seth Lundy Notches 1000 Career Points as Penn State Dominates Indiana
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – A week after teammate Myles Dread notched 1000 career points, Seth Lundy joined the club with his best game of the season as Penn State dominated Indiana, 85-66.
The Paulsboro, New Jersey native finished with a season-high 25 points, and a career-best mark from the three-point line, 7-for-12.
“It’s a great feeling, not a lot of people do it and to be a part of that club is definitely special,” Lundy said on 1000 career points. “We got five 1000-point scorers on our team, that’s unheard of honestly, that’s special.”
Lundy was on fire to start the game, scoring eight of the first 10 points, and finished with 14 as the blue and white took the lead into the half, 37-26.
“He took what the defense gave him whether it was a shot, whether it was a straight line drive to attack the room, drive to a pass,” Shrewsberry said on what allowed Lundy to play well. “He kept it really simple, and when he does that he's really good.”
Despite an 11-point deficit heading into the final 20 minutes, Mike Woodson’s squad threw the first punch, cutting the lead down to five.
Holding leads in the second half has been a problem for Shrewsberry’s squad as of late, but this time around they found a response.
“We even changed our routine at halftime when we first came out, like we did different drills, so guys can stay loose, guys can stay ready, mentally and physically,” Lundy said. “We all trusted each other like, basketball is a game of runs. So they made a couple of shots in the second half, but you know, we just dug deep and got more stops.”
A big part of the answer in the final 20 minutes came from Evan Mahaffey, who notched a new career-high 12 points by going 4-for-4 from the floor, and 3-for-4 from the charity stripe.
“I think my role just keeps growing every game, like just being able to do more for my team to help,” Mahaffey said. “I'm doing everything that keeps me on the floor, playing defense, getting rebounds, getting steals, deflections, so just keep expanding on my role, and doing whatever I can to help these guys win.
The Cincinnati, Ohio native continues to develop in his first campaign in Happy Valley and Shrewsberry credits him for being an “energy giver” every day.
“He's provided the energy, and that's just what we need from him,” Shrewsberry said on what has helped Mahaffey in his development. “He's just doing whatever it takes to win. So like, where do you need me to play? What do you need me to do? Who do you need me to guard and here you go.”
Lundy re-ignited the crowd when he beat Miller Kopp off the bounce and threw it down for his 1000th career point.
The senior wasn’t the only one with a career night, Funk finished with 23 points, his best total since arriving in Happy Valley, and tied a career-high with seven three-pointers, including one from near the center-court logo.
The whole offense was cooking from deep, tying a school record with 18 threes and their best mark since Canisius with 13 triples, Lundy and Funk combined for 14.
“Every game you’re not going to shoot the ball great, and we understand that,” Lundy said. “When we’re not shooting the ball great it’s just the next shot mentality, next play mentality, next game mentality.”
However, the defense was much improved from prior games, allowing the last three opponents to score over 70 points.
“We had to get back to guarding, we had to get back to being aggressive, we had to get back to being physical, and it was now or never,” Shrewsberry said on the defensive effort creating offensive opportunities. “You get a stop, you deserve to make shots if you're playing that way defensively. I thought we deserved to make shots because of how we guarded.”
Penn State has a small break before it hits the road on Tuesday for a date with the No. 18 Wisconsin Badgers.
“We plan on playing through March and we have a long way to go but enjoy this process and point out the little steps,” Shrewsberry said on his team finding joy in basketball. “Enjoy that part of it and when we do it, I think that's where we'll find the joy.
Matt Scalzo is a third-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him email matt.scalzo8@gmail.com or mms7477@psu.edu.
