Saturday's turnaround seemed like it would've been more at home on Ripley's Believe It or Not, rather than on the hardwood.

After managing only two points in a span of 7:45, the Penn State men's basketball team stormed back Saturday -- rallying to score 37 points in the final 12 minutes of the game. The Nittany Lions went on to defeat Cornell after the run, 66-54, during their season debut at the Bryce Jordan Center.

"We were playing like a team -- when you're a little kid, dropping the clothespin in the bottle -- we were just trying to force every single thing," Penn State coach Ed DeChellis said. "And in the last part of the second half, we finally played a little bit."

The Lions opened the second half at a snail's pace by missing 12 of their first 13 shots, as the Big Red slowly amassed an eight-point lead. But just when the game seemed like it was getting out of hand, Penn State's slumbering offense awoke.

And did it ever.

The Lions (1-0) proceeded to hit 66 percent from the field, transforming an eight-point deficit into a 12-point lead. Cornell, on the other hand, did a complete 180 for the worse -- shooting 26 percent during the final 12 minutes of the game.

And the aspect that was even more incredible? The Lions spurred their comeback without sophomore sensation Geary Claxton, who tied a career-high with 13 rebounds and was on the bench because of foul trouble.

"I give Penn State credit," Cornell coach Steve Donahue said. "Claxton gets four fouls -- and he's obviously their best player -- and they found a way to win."

Virtually every player picked up the slack for the Lions, but DeChellis pointed toward one particular reserve and his game-changing play.

With Penn State holding a measly one-point lead, there was little breathing room. But sophomore Mike Walker stepped up to the challenge, sinking a 3-point shot in the corner -- after being fouled.

Walker missed the free throw, but 6-foot-10 Milos Bogetic grabbed the rebound and was fouled before draining one-of-two free throws himself. One possession later, Walker netted yet another 3, effectively swinging the momentum to the Lions' side and putting the game out of reach, 52-46.

"Ben [Luber] hit a couple shots, I hit a couple shots and we got a run going," Walker said. "We've got a lot of young players, so we need that kinda run and that type of confidence to bring us up."

In addition to Walker, Luber boasted the hot hand for the Lions. He went 7-for-14 and added a game-high 17 points on the afternoon.

But while the come-from-behind victory was nothing short of amazing, the beginning of the matchup was like a marathon between two overweight kids -- slow and hard to watch.

The Big Red missed their first eight shots of the game while Penn State went 1-for-6. Cornell rebounded after the scoring lapse, though, shooting 57 percent the rest of the half.

"We couldn't make a basket the first half to save our soul," DeChellis said. "The game was real slow, too. We couldn't get it speeded up until the last part of the second half."

The win marked DeChellis' first season-opening victory at Penn State since arriving three years ago. He said it was the team's goal to win every non-conference game at home this season -- and the 37-point, 12-minute run certainly provides a step in that direction.