With their original opener against Drexel postponed, Penn State joined most of college basketball in this game, looking for an easy victory against VMI to start the season. Some teams already have three games under their belt by having participated in an early season tournament, but the Nittany Lions’ plans to play in Orland fell through when that event fell through.
As one would expect this season, things didn’t look as crisp right off the bat as they normally would. What didn’t seem to take a step back, however was the defensive tenacity of the team. Penn State made life hard early and often for the Keydets, applying pressure to the tune of five VMI turnovers in the first five minutes of the game.