How Penn State stayed alive in the Big Ten Tournament with its second half offense
Penn State pulled close several times Thursday night against Ohio State, but struggled to bridge the final piece of the gap. The Nittany Lions, playing the Buckeyes in the Big Ten men’s basketball tournament, cut the lead to one possession more than once, but it took a boost of energy to draw it the rest of the way closed.
With just under seven minutes on the clock, Ohio State forward E.J. Liddell posted up Myles Dread, trying to back him down. He took one step into the Nittany Lion wing and Dread quickly swiped the ball away, into the hands of Buckeye freshman Malaki Branham, with Dread stepping out to guard him. He fought again, giving the freshman no room to breathe, and forcing a contested jumper.
He pulled down the rebound, passed to teammate Jalen Pickett and sprinted full throttle down the court — where he splashed home a 3-pointer to tie the game at 53.
The shot was a key turning point for the Nittany Lions and helped push them to a 71-68 victory over Ohio State, advancing them to the quarterfinals where they’ll meet No. 3 seed Purdue.
For Dread, it wasn’t the shot that turned the momentum, but the defensive stand.
“The steal and the stop (meant) more than the three,” Dread said after the win. “We had a huge focus on defending without fouling and just playing aggressive and being more physical in the second half. The three, I just did what I’ve done a thousand times. I worked really hard on that shot and made it. But I think the spark really came from the defensive end.”
He and the rest of the Nittany Lions had every reason to be tired heading into the game. They played the night before in a tough, physical game against the Minnesota Golden Gophers that put them in the second round — and early on it showed.
They struggled to make open shots and allowed their opponents to get to the spots they wanted to without much resistance. That swiftly changed at halftime and suddenly Penn State was rolling offensively, shooting over 59% from the field in the second half for the second night in a row.
Penn State head coach Micah Shrewsberry said the changes he preached at the half were more focused on the defense than the offense, citing an old boss of his — former Boston Celtics head coach and current president of basketball operations Brad Stevens — and a saying he always told him.
“I think we just kinda get a better feel as we go on, as the game goes on,” Shrewsberry said. “There were a couple adjustments that we talked about, but not much. I talked more about our defense than I did our offense. These guys are the ones playing. So they have the freedom to talk about what they see, how we can attack better. I didn’t think our physicality was very good offensively in the first half. ... I talked about this guy yesterday, the guy I used to work for, Brad. He always says the toughest team sets the rules. I felt like we were the tougher team in the second half.”
One of the more drastic changes was the distribution of wealth offensively. Eight players scored for the Nittany Lions in the game’s final 20 minutes, while only four did in the first half. One of the players to make his mark in both was senior guard Sam Sessoms, who led the team with 18 points on an efficient 12 shots from the floor.
Sessoms and Pickett have carried the load offensively for the team this season, and after it was the latter who did it Wednesday, it was the former’s turn against the Buckeyes.
Despite how much work the two senior guards have put in, Sessoms said it’s not difficult to maintain that level of energy with the ball in his hands.
“It’s not hard at all,” he said. “It’s kind of like me and Pick just alternate. ... Me and him talked. At times we he felt like he had mismatches in the post. And I came to him during a timeout and I was just telling him like, ‘Hey bro, I know I can get to the spot, get to the hole, make my layups.’ And he just said, ‘All right, do you and just make the right decision.’ It’s not that hard. Even at times if it feels like we’re carrying the load. The surrounding cast that’s out on the court does so much for us and makes it a lot easier.”
The energy was high at the end of the win over the Buckeyes, but it means Penn State is not done in Indianapolis. The upset win leaves them as only one of eight teams remaining in the tournament. The team’s only opportunity at the postseason is to stretch those two wins into five and win the title.
Most of the road still lies ahead, but for now Penn State has shown the energy to keep driving through.
This story was originally published March 11, 2022 at 12:44 AM.
