Andrew Funk had the capturing sport of his profession on Penn State’s greatest stage in over twenty years.Funk made 8 of 10 3-pointers and scored 27 factors Thursday night time in a 76-59 win over Texas A&M for the Nittany Lions’ first NCAA Event victory in 22 years.Funk, in his first 12 months at Penn State after transferring from Bucknell, led the Nittany Lions to their ninth win of their final 11 video games. They subsequent play Texas within the second spherical of the Midwest Area on Saturday.Penn State’s earlier match win was its second spherical upset of North Carolina in New Orleans in 2001. The Nittany Lions misplaced to Temple within the Candy 16, they usually misplaced to the Owls once more after they returned to the match in 2011.CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM Jalen Pickett #22 of the Penn State Nittany Lions reacts in the course of the first half in opposition to the Texas A&M Aggies within the first spherical of the NCAA Males’s Basketball Event at Wells Fargo Enviornment on March 16, 2023 in Des Moines, Iowa. (Michael Reaves/Getty Pictures)Texas A&M (25-10) had gained 10 of 12 because it entered its first NCAA Event since 2018. The Aggies misplaced within the first spherical for under the second time in 9 appearances since 2006.Dexter Dennis scored 19 factors to guide A&M, which shot 34%.Funk was 0 for five on 3s within the Large Ten championship sport final weekend. However he made his first 3-pointer in opposition to the Aggies, missed his second, after which hit six in a row. The streak ended when he put up an air ball on a desperation 3 because the shot clock was operating out.Jalen Pickett, the largest star for Penn State (23-13), performed one other sturdy all-around sport with 19 factors, eight assists, no turnovers and 7 rebounds.Penn State led 38-22 after outscoring the Aggies 28-10 to shut the primary half. The Aggies hadn’t scored so few factors in a primary half since a win over Notre Dame on Nov. 24, 2021.The Lions’ offense ran simply the best way coach Micah Shrewsberry likes it, with the specter of 6-foot-10 Kebba Jjie within the submit creating house on the perimeter for Funk, Myles Dread and Seth Lundy to do what they do finest. Dread and Lundy had two 3s apiece and Penn State completed 13 of twenty-two from distance. Jalen Pickett #22 and Myles Dread #2 of the Penn State Nittany Lions rejoice after a play in the course of the second half in opposition to the Texas A&M Aggies within the first spherical of the NCAA Males’s Basketball Event at Wells Fargo Enviornment on March 16, 2023 in Des Moines, Iowa. (Michael Reaves/Getty Pictures)FURMAN RECORDS FIRST UPSET OF 2023 MARCH MADNESS, TAKING DOWN VIRGINIA WITH WILD LATE SEQUENCEThe Aggies have had attempting instances lately relating to the NCAA Event. Coach Buzz Williams was infamously miffed when the Aggies weren’t chosen final 12 months. This season they got here in as a No. 7 seed, decrease than Aggie trustworthy felt honest.BIG PICTURE:Penn State: The Lions’ dominance of their first NCAA Event sport since 2011 will solely intensify the highlight on second-year coach Shrewsberry, whose identify has been linked to openings at Notre Dame and Georgetown.Texas A&M: The Aggies’ first look within the match in 5 years ended the identical approach because the final one — with a thud. They misplaced by 27 factors to Michigan within the 2018 Candy 16. Andrew Funk #10 of the Penn State Nittany Lions reacts after a play in the course of the first half in opposition to the Texas A&M Aggies within the first spherical of the NCAA Males’s Basketball Event at Wells Fargo Enviornment on March 16, 2023 in Des Moines, Iowa. (Michael Reaves/Getty Pictures)CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPUP NEXTPenn State will play Texas for the primary time in males’s basketball.
Penn State dominates Texas A&M to move on in March Madness
