Following a 0-5 start to conference play, the Penn State Nittany Lions finally have their first win in the Big Ten this season as well as their first win of 2021. Although it was a balanced offensive attack that contributed to the victory, noticeable improvements came on the rebounding side of things.

The Nittany Lions are known for having one of the smallest lineups in the Big Ten, as John Harrar and Trent Buttrick and 6-foot-6-inch Seth Lundy are the only forwards on the team that play key minutes, with Buttrick coming off the bench most nights.

Against Rutgers, that size didn’t matter, as the Nittany Lions had two players record double-digit rebounds in the Penn State win.

Harrar has been on a hot streak the last four games in terms of rebounds, as he now has at least 10 in three of those games. During that four-game stretch, Harrar has been especially dominant on the offensive boards, recording 22.

With Rutgers struggling to find the basket, Harrar led both teams in offensive rebounds with four and in total rebounds with 11.

Lundy was the other Penn State player with double-digit boards, as he set a career high with 10 in the win. Lundy’s previous career high in rebounds was seven, which he hit once this season against Seton Hall and once early last season against Wagner.

Lundy’s been seen as a “score-first” player, especially early this season, as he once led the team in that mark. But once he started to cool down in Big Ten play, head coach Jim Ferry decided to bench Lundy for Trent Buttrick against Illinois, ironically to give Penn State more size.

Both the game he came off the bench against Illinois and against Rutgers, Lundy played some of his best basketball of the season. Not only is he scoring in double-digits again, but he’s helping in other assets of the game with 15 boards across those two games. He was also tied with Sam Sessoms for the most steals against Rutgers with three.

Other players on the team also stepped up in the rebounding category with guard Jamari Wheeler corralling five, which is his third-highest total of the season. Bench players such as Buttrick and Sessoms crashed the glass as well, each recording four. For Sessoms, that number is his season high.

The Nittany Lions will stay at the Bryce Jordan Center for their next matchup, as they welcome Miller Kopp and the Northwestern Wildcats on Saturday.

Logan Bourandas is a sophomore majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email lxb5412@psu.edu.