There was a time when Penn State's presence in the NCAA Tournament was seemingly a given.
The program captured back-to-back titles in 1954 and 1955, and Penn State continued its reputation as a powerhouse program well into the following decades, making the NCAA Tournament in all but one year from 1970-89.
The Nittany Lions' best finish at the tournament during that nearly two-decade-long stretch came in 1979, when then-coach Walt Bahr's squad finished third in the country.
But before that happened, Penn State picked up two important and close victories against in-state rivals Lafayette and Bucknell.