The Penn State men's basketball team fended off a furious Furman comeback attempt in the second half as the Nittany Lions earned a 73-68 win over the Paladins in the opening game of the Charleston Classic. Penn State advances through the winners bracket and will take on Virginia Tech Friday at noon on ESPN2.

The Nittany Lions got off to a hot start and led by as much as 21 in the first half. Furman heated up in the second half, slowly chipping away at the Penn State lead until it was a one-point game in the final two minutes. The Penn State defense held on, however, and added four clutch points from Seth Lundy in the final 1:22 to close out the 73-68 victory.
 
Lundy finished with 20 points and a team-best seven rebounds, while senior+ guard Jalen Pickett finished with 20 points and team-best seven assists. Myles Dread knocked down three triples for nine points.