GAME NOTES: A pair of teams off to 1-0 starts get together on Sunday evening, as the Fordham Rams pay a visit to the Penn State Nittany Lions.

Fordman, which plays its basketball out of the Atlantic 10 Conference, tipped off the 2014-15 campaign on Friday night by taking down visiting New York Institute of Technology, 94-77. The Rams won their home opener for the second straight season, and are now 74-32 (.705) in season openers since 1908.

Penn State also began the new season on a positive note, as it knocked off visiting Morgan State on Friday, 61-48. While the Nittany Lions have some talent, they aren't expected to be among the elite in the Big Ten Conference this season, but taking each game as it comes is the mantra coach Patrick Chambers relays to his team, and winning their 10th consecutive season opener was a nice way to start.

The all-time series between Fordham and Penn State is tied at 2-2. The first meeting took place more than a century ago (1907), and the most recent in Philadelphia back in 1973 in which the Nittany Lions prevailed in overtime, 73-67.

Eric Paschall made a hugh splash in his first collegiate game on Friday night, scoring a Fordham freshman debut-record 31 points, while grabbing 10 rebounds in leading the Rams past the Bears of NYIT at Rose Hill Gym. Chris Sengfelder tacked on 17 points, Mandell Thomas 14, Ryan Rhoomes 12 and Bryan Smith 11 for a Fordham squad that drained 11-of-23 3-point attempts, finished with 22 assists on 34 total baskets, and easily won the rebounding battle, 45-24. NYIT hit a dozen treys in the game, but committed 14 turnovers. In addition to the double-double produced by Paschall, Rhoomes also turned the trick in coming up with a game-high 13 rebounds. Nemanja Zarkovic and Smith combined to hand out 11 helpers, and the team converted 15-of-17 free throws.

Penn State may miss former star Tim Frazier at different times this season, but Friday's season-opening win over Morgan State wasn't one of them as the Nittany Lions had three players score in double figures. D.J. Newbill led all scorers with 17 points and he grabbed seven rebounds as well, while freshman Shep Garner had a solid first outing with 14 points thanks to a 6-of-9 shooting effort. Geno Thorpe added 11 points off the bench to round out the double-digit scorers for a PSU squad that shot 43.8 percent from the floor while limiting the Bears to 31 percent efficiency, which included a dismal 3- of-18 showing from beyond the arc. The Lions did commit 18 turnovers in the game, which coach Chambers knows can't continue if his team is to have any shot against the better opponents on its schedule.

This should be a pretty entertaining game between two teams that, while lacking the overall talent and depth needed to compete with the big boys on the national stage, that has enough to give some foes fits. Expect the Lions to earn a hard-fought home victory, with Newbill once again leading the way.