Penn State men’s basketball and Seth Lundy both haven’t had the most consistent 2020-21 campaigns.

Much like his team overall, Lundy has had his fair share of cold spells over the past few months. After putting up at least 20 points in two of the first three games of the season, the sophomore forward went quiet over the next few games.

Despite a few standout performances, Lundy wasn’t always the go-to scorer that many expected him to be. The Philadelphia native clearly changed that perception Sunday night when he led the Nittany Lions in an electric comeback victory over Maryland to close out the regular season.

After totaling just 30 points over the course of his last seven games, Lundy exploded for 31 points and eight boards against the Terps. His biggest score of the night was a pretty finish in the lane that gave Penn State its first lead with just over a minute remaining.

.@PennStateMBB has its first lead.

Seth Lundy (@llseth23), of course, is the man who did the honors. pic.twitter.com/ur6VlJcE3y

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) March 8, 2021

Lundy also managed to hit five threes, the last of which served as the nail in the coffin for the Terrapins.

Seth Lundy’s been up for awhile! pic.twitter.com/QJ7vmxYslX

— Onward State (@OnwardState) March 8, 2021

“We never stopped believing in Seth,” head coach Jim Ferry said postgame. “We’ve never stopped telling him to shoot. We told him he was gonna have a big night because he keeps working. He’s in there every day. It’s hard, especially for a young sophomore to have ups and downs and feel like he’s not playing very well.”

Ferry added that he thought a gritty performance against Minnesota sparked Lundy’s dominance in the regular-season finale.

“I thought it started from the other night when he really played so hard defending and rebounding,” Ferry said. “The ball didn’t go in for him, but he just kept believing, and we all kept believing in him.

“Hopefully, it clicks,” Ferry added.

After opening the season as a starter, Lundy has come off the bench for the past few months. While that might not be the most glamorous position to be in for the athletic forward, his ability to heat up showcases just how much depth Penn State’s offense has.

Lundy stepped up when Penn State clearly needed him most Sunday night. In fact, he scored the Nittany Lions’ first 11 points of the contest. While usual offensive spark plugs such as Myreon Jones and Izaiah Brockington weren’t their normal selves at all times, Lundy was clearly the man of the night.

“So many other guys that have really been carrying us all year just didn’t have great nights,” Ferry said. “To have him step us for us in a game like this was huge.”

Lundy’s lights-out performance should be a comforting reminder for all Nittany Lions as the postseason begins.

If it isn’t Jones, Brockington, John Harrar, or any others, Lundy is the type of guy who can take over a game. Penn State got down by as many as 16 to the Terrapins, but his consistent scoring kept it to a management deficit for Ferry’s group. It was easily the deciding factor down the stretch.

“I was the hot hand. We started off slow and needed someone to score the ball, and the team just looked to me,” Lundy said. “That’s just the type of team we have. We have multiple guys that can score the ball. They just fed me.”

The good news for Lundy is that he won’t have too much time to cool off from Sunday’s dominant showing. The Nittany Lions will open the Big Ten Tournament in the first round Tuesday night against Nebraska at Lucas Oil Stadium. That will ll tip off at 9 p.m. and air on the Big Ten Network.

With two consecutive wins under their belt, including a dominant senior night against Minnesota, the Nittany Lions are ready for some March basketball.

“I wouldn’t say we played great tonight, but I feel really good rolling into the tournament,” Ferry said. “We’re gonna get back late tonight. We’ll practice Tuesday, and then let’s go. These guys are ready to make a run.”