Myles Dread Lifts Penn State with Another Game-Winning Shot
Myles Dread was 0-for-4 from the field in the game, and 3-for-13 on the season, but on the floor for Penn State's final possession. For a reason.
Dread made his third career game-winning shot Wednesday, a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to lift the Lions over Virginia Commonwealth 72-69 at the Bryce Jordan Center. For interim coach Jim Ferry, the decision to put Dread on the floor for the final play was easy.
"Myles has a lot of experience," Ferry said. "He's got a lot of game experience, he's got a lot of winning experience with this program. And he's a guy that we just trust a lot."
Prior to that moment, Penn State looked like a team headed to overtime. The Lions led by eight with 3:32 remaining but missed three shots and three free throws and turned over the ball. VCU's Jamir Watkins tied the game with 9 seconds left, giving Penn State possession with a chance to win.
Ferry said the final play was designed to go look inside (Penn State shot 9-for-26 from 3-point range) and attack the rim. But VCU shut down the entry, so Penn State swung the perimeter, with Jamari Wheeler dishing to Dread on the right wing at the last second.
As he did against Rutgers earlier this year, Dread drained the game-winner with the red light flashing.
It was a significant moment, and victory, for Penn State, which still is getting used to its interim coach and playing without former coach Pat Chambers.
"You know what, I think that last possession really showed who we are as a team," Ferry said. "And I don't mean it was just like we drew it up. I meant it more as like, how much these guys trust each other how much these guys love each other. You know, they play for each other, which I thought showed in that last possession."
Ferry called the possession significant because of how the players moved the ball and how much they trusted Dread, despite his shooting struggles.
"And still Jamari wasn't hesitant to throw an extra pass, and Myles wasn't hesitant to let it go," Ferry said.
Seth Lundy led Penn State with a career-high 32 points, shooting 50 percent from 3-point range, and Sam Sessoms added 17 points off the bench. The Lions didn't shoot particularly well otherwise (26 percent beyond those two) but also didn't lose their poise, something Ferry noted specifically afterward.
"It was a good win for us, especially this early in the season against a very, very good team," Ferry said. "... We're just plugging away. Maybe it will be a big win, I don't know."
Next up: Penn State hosts Seton Hall at 8 p.m. Sunday on Big Ten Network.
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