Jamari Wheeler posted career highs with 18 points and four 3-pointers to lead a balanced attack as Penn State pulled away for a season-opening 86-65 victory over visiting VMI on Saturday in University Park, Pa.

Izaiah Brockington added 15 points, eight rebounds and three steals for the Nittany Lions, who had Wednesday's original season opener with Drexel canceled due to COVID-19 concerns. Seth Lundy, Myreon Jones and Sam Sessoms added 12 points each.

Penn State recorded 18 steals -- five by Wheeler and four from Sessoms -- to provide interim coach Jim Ferry his first win with the Nittany Lions. The one-time head coach at Duquesne and LIU took over a month ago after Patrick Chambers resigned over conduct issues.

Greg Parham scored 21 points and Kamdyn Curfman added 17 for VMI (1-1), which opened the season with a 90-63 home victory over NAIA foe St. Andrews on Wednesday.

Curfman drained a 3-pointer to give the Keydets a 45-44 lead with 15:26 left in the game, but the Lions scored the next nine points to take command.

Brockington scored four points and Wheeler added a 3-pointer during the run. Consecutive 3-pointers by Myles Dread, Sessoms and Dallion Johnson provided Penn State a 23-point bulge with 1:27 left.

Parham scored seven points in less than a minute to help VMI to a 26-14 lead with 7:19 left, but the Nittany Lions rallied and closed the first half with a 37-35 lead on a 3-pointer by Wheeler at the buzzer. Lundy scored a team-high nine points in the half, all in the final 10 minutes.

Penn State missed its first eight 3-pointers and shot 4 of 17 for the half but the defense forced 13 turnovers -- nine steals -- to keep the Lions in the game. Penn State finished 11 of 36 from behind the arc.

Parham scored 15 points in the first half on 6-of-8 shooting for the Keydets, who shot 52 percent (13 of 25) as a team in the opening 20 minutes.

--Field Level Media