Nittany Lions take down Winthrop, 93-68, in season opener

By Kenny Varner Jr.
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Updated: November 8, 2022

Courtesy of GoPSU Athletics

Photo by Tim Weight

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State men’s basketball team drained a program-record 18 3-pointers en route to a dominant 93-68 victory over Winthrop Monday night in the 2022-23 season opener at the Bryce Jordan Center.

Penn State put together a dominant offensive effort to the tune of 93 points, its most in a single game since putting up 95 against Nebraska on Feb. 19, 2019. The Nittany Lions’ single-game record 18 3-pointers came on a blistering 47.4 percent (18-38) clip from beyond the arc.

Guard Jalen Pickett led Penn State with 23 points on 9-of-13 shooting, five rebounds and five assists. Guard Andrew Funk drilled six three points and shot 8-for-12 from the field to put up 22 points in his Penn State debut. A total of 10 Nittany Lions scored in the well-balanced team effort.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Eagles won the opening tip but the Nittany Lion defense made its presence felt early and forced a travel on the first possession of the season. Penn State forced another turnover within the first two minutes of the game before Pickett got the Nittany Lions on the board with five-straight points.
Two free throws for the Eagles tied the game at five apiece with 16:38 remaining in the opening half.
A Camren Wynter fast-break layup gave the Nittany Lions a 7-5 lead entering the under-16 media timeout.
The Nittany Lions headed into the under-12 media timeout having made five of their last seven basketball and keeping Winthrop scoreless for a stretch of 2:30.
A patented three-ball from Myles Dread, his second of the game, kept Penn State in front 22-16 with 9:50 left in the period.
Pickett’s third 3-pointer of the half and an and-one bucket by Evan Mahaffey capped off a 7-0 run and extended the Nittany Lions’ lead to 31-21 with 7:03 to play in the half.
Dread drilled his third three-pointer of the half to increase Penn State’s lead to 11 points entering the final media break of the opening period.
Penn State kept the threes coming as Funk splashed two in a row, forcing a Winthrop timeout with 2:53 to play. With an 11-0 run, the Nittany Lions had opened up a 42-25 lead.
The Nittany Lions entered halftime up 44-32, thanks to a 42.9 percent three-point percentage and just four turnovers. Pickett’s 15 points led the squad at the break.
Funk got the scoring started in the second half with his fourth trey of the night. Seth Lundy converted two free throws and Wynter capitalized on a stunning off-balance and-one layup to give Penn State eight-straight points out of the break.
Penn State continued its fantastic shooting night in the second half, as it entered the under-12 media timeout leading 66-45 while shooting 54.5 percent from the field, with Andrew Funk (4), Myles Dread (3), Jalen Pickett (3), and Seth Lundy (2) all with two or more three-pointers.
Caleb Dorsey got in on the 3-point party, drilling his first of the game with 9:44remaining in the half.
The threes kept coming for the Nittany Lions, as back-to-back treys from Funk and Dread set the program record for 3-pointers made in a game with 16, and put the Nittany Lions up 87-61 with 2:46remaining in regulation.
Michael Henn and Jameel Brown each drilled a three in the final minutes of regulation to extend the record to 18 made threes and give Penn State a 93-68 victory.

GAME NOTES

The Nittany Lions’ single-game record of 18 3-pointers bested the previous school record of 15 that was set three times, most recently against Cornell last season.
Seven Penn State players made a 3-pointer in the record-setting night from downtown.
Penn State’s 93 points is its most since putting up 95 against Nebraska on Feb. 19, 2019.
The Nittany Lions dished 24 assists in their efficient offensive night. Penn State’s 24 assists are its most since recording 24 against Central Connecticut State on Dec. 20, 2019.
The Nittany Lions shot 55.5 percent (33-for-60) from the field, their best single-game field goal percentage since shooting 60.0 percent against Bucknell on Nov. 19, 2019.
Andrew Funk (22) and Jalen Pickett (23) were the first pair of Penn State teammates to post 20-point efforts in the same game since Seth Lundy (23) and Sam Sessoms (20) vs. Cornell on Nov. 11, 2021.
Penn State has won its last six season openers.
The Nittany Lions are now 7-0 all-time against current members of the Big South.
Andrew Funk, Camren Wynter, Kebba Njie, Jameel Brown, Michael Henn, Kanye Clary and Evan Mahaffey all made their Nittany Lion debuts tonight.