Andrew Funk took over the game, and Penn State got its first NCAA Tournament win since 2001, beating Texas A&M, 76-59.
ANDREW FUNK, AMIRITE? #WeAre | #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/z4Lsi1QEpY
— Penn State Men’s Basketball (@PennStateMBB) March 17, 2023
Funk went 7-for-11 from the field, 8-for-10 from three and ended with 27 points in Penn State’s first “March Madness” game since 2011.
Jalen Pickett wasn’t bad, either. The All-American ended the night 19 points and eight assists, and played the entire game. Seth Lundy added 10 points.
As a team, Penn State shot 13-for-21 from 3 and held Texas A&M to nine of 32 from beyond the arc.
A&M got off to a solid start and led 9-5 at the first media timeout.
Penn State responded with a 5-0 run to take the lead, with a 3 by Andrew Funk and a two by Pickett. A&M regained the lead before the next media timeout and led 12-11.
Coming out of the break, Penn State got hot, scoring seven unanswered to go ahead, 18-12.
The run featured Seth Lundy’s first points of the game, a 3 that put Penn State up by six. A&M cut it back to one possession on a triple by Hayden Heffner, and it stayed 18-15 at the under-8 media timeout.
Penn State scored the first nine points out of that break, and a 3 by Myles Dread made it 27-15. By the under-4 timeout, Penn State led 31-20.
After the break, Funk put Penn State up by 14 with a 3. The team didn’t let up from there and led by as much as 18. At halftime, Penn State led 38-22, and Funk stole the show. He ended the half with 15 points, going 4-for-5 from 3.
At the first media timeout of the second half, Penn State led by 20, and it was all over.
Next up for Penn State is second-seeded Texas, who it plays Saturday at a time yet to be determined.
