Tim Frazier tallied 26 points and 10 assists, his third career double-double and second in as many games, and Penn State defeated Long Island University 77-68 on Wednesday night.
The 26 points were a career-high for Frazier.
Cammeron Woodyard added 13 points while Billy Oliver posted a career-high 10 rebounds as Penn State (3-0) used a 21-8 run over the final 8:22 to pull away.
All of Woodyard's points were scored in the second half.
Tied 36-36 at the break, the Nittany Lions began the second half on an 8-0 run. Yet the Blackbirds pushed back to lead by four with 8:22 remaining, forcing Penn State's late drive.
Julian Boyd and Michael Culpo each tallied 15 points for Long Island (0-3).
The Nittany Lions are in the thick of their season-opening stretch of five games in nine days.
Wednesday's game belonged to Frazier, Penn State's lone returning starter.
The junior guard either assisted or scored on Penn State's first 13 points. Frazier's final stat line also included five rebounds and two steals.
''I had a couple dives, I know Coach (Patrick) Chambers loves that,'' Frazier said. ''Whatever the team needs me to do, I'll do.''
Long Island coach Jim Ferry said his team couldn't execute its game plan against Frazier - to contain him, keep him out of the middle lane and crowd his space.
''Didn't work,'' Ferry said. ''He's a one-man fast break and he's a one-man wrecking crew.''
Penn State won its first two games - against Hartford and Radford - by at least 15 points.
Chambers, in his first season as Penn State's coach, said Wednesday's game showed him how his team will handle adversity.
''I don't know what they would've done in year's past,'' Chambers said. ''But they showed me a little something. They showed me some grit, they showed me some heart.''
