Charlotte 106, Penn State 97 (2 OT): Mike Thorne Jr. posted his sixth career double-double with 23 points and a career-high 16 rebounds as the 49ers bounced back after blowing a huge second-half lead to hold off the Nittany Lions in the Charleston Classic.

Braxton Ogbueze went 11-for-11 from the foul line and added a career-high 26 points for Charlotte (2-0), which remained unbeaten against Penn State in the schools’ first meeting since 1983 and will face South Carolina in Friday’s semifinals. Terrence Williams poured in 13 points, Torin Dorn contributed 12 and Keyshawn Woods tallied 11 to round out the 49ers’ double-digit scorers.

D.J. Newbill finished 14-of-33 from the floor and scored a career-high 35 points for Penn State (2-1), which could convert only five field goals after regulation. Brandon Taylor tied a career high with four 3-pointers to finish with 19 points and nine boards while Shep Garner had 14 points for the Nittany Lions, who play Cornell in Friday's consolation round.

Charlotte buried back-to-back 3-pointers en route to scoring the game’s first eight points, but Taylor and Newbill combined for 14 of Penn State’s points during a 16-3 surge that left the Nittany Lions ahead by five. The 49ers fired back with 13 consecutive points and led by as many as 11 late in the first half before stretching the margin to as much as 17 with 11:48 to go.

Three Charlotte starters fouled out in the second half, however, and Newbill scored seven points in the final 34 seconds to cap a 34-18 run to pull within 81-80 before John Johnson drained a 3-pointer in the waning seconds of regulation to answer a pair of free throws from Ogbueze and send it into overtime. Ogbueze and Thorne combined for 17 of the 49ers’ first 18 points in the extra periods, including five straight to open up a 101-95 lead after Penn State closed within two early in the second overtime.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Charlotte, which has won seven straight early season tournament games after claiming the 2012 Great Alaska Shootout and 2013 Puerto Rico Tip-Off, connected on its first six 3-point attempts and finished 9-of-19 beyond the arc. … Penn State’s Patrick Chambers (40-60) coached his 100th game with the Nittany Lions. … 49ers G Pierria Henry, a preseason All-Conference USA selection, went 2-of-9 from the field to finish with eight points, seven rebounds and five assists before fouling out with 3:40 left in regulation.