Believe it or not, Penn State actually had two major sports teams come away with victories this weekend. That's pretty newsworthy in itself.

While much of the attention was paid to the football team's 37-13 thrashing of Michigan State, another sport that has struggled mightily in the win department in recent years was also successful.

The men's basketball team held on against Lehigh for a 73-64 win in its home opener on Friday night.

Yes, it was Lehigh. But I don't care if it was against Kenmore West High (my high school) -- any win for this team is an important one.

It was big for the team not to alienate the few fans it has left, which a loss to the Mountain Hawks surely would have done.

There actually was some energy in the Bryce Jordan Center. The reported attendance of 6,891 didn't look that far from that truth.

Not to be lost in the shuffle is the unexpected adversity the Nittany Lions faced prior to tip-off. Sophomore guard Ben Luber, expected to be one of the team's leaders this year, showed up in street clothes.

A brief press release said that Luber "has asked to become an inactive member of the Nittany Lion basketball team," and that, "he has decided to concentrate on personal matters that are more important than basketball at the time."

Penn State coach Ed DeChellis said after the game that he did not expect Luber to transfer, stating his absence had nothing to do with basketball. But it would hardly be shocking to see another player leave the program after last season's mass exodus.

Enter freshman Mike Walker. In his first-ever collegiate home contest, Walked filled in admirably in Luber's absence, taking charge of the offense and logging 37 minutes in the process.

Even though Walker had only seven points when all was said and done, it was his smarts and composure that were most impressive.

With the Lions up 67-62 with less than a minute left, the freshman passed up an easy lay-up and instead dribbled all the way back to half court, taking the foul and knocking crucial seconds off the clock.

"I thought Mike started out a little shaky and as the game went on he was a little more solid with the ball," DeChellis said.