COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The rest of the Big Ten is well aware what the Penn State men's basketball team can do on its home court. Just ask Purdue, Minnesota or, yes, even Indiana, all of whom have seen the magic the Lions can work in Rec Hall.

Of course, the Boilermakers, Gophers and Hoosiers -- along with the rest of the conference -- have also seen what Penn State has been able to do on the road.

Frankly, not much.

In their first two seasons, the Lions managed just two road wins in 18 conference games. But with its 14-point dismantling of Ohio State Saturday at St. John Arena, Coach Bruce Parkhill's squad did more than just equal its previous win total. The Lions showed they may be ready to make such results a habit.

"If you're going to be successful in this league, you've got to get road wins," junior forward Rahsaan Carlton said. "That's the thing."

That's also the thing Carlton and his teammates will have to do if they want to keep playing past the first week of March. Road wins within the league will go a long way in helping the Lions stake their claim to a postseason bid, as will the kind of play that sealed their win on Saturday.

Against the Buckeyes, Penn State did all the little things that play such a big part in overcoming the obstacles of playing on the road, especially late in the game.

The Lions played consistent defense, holding Ohio State to 39 percent shooting in the second half. They made their free throws, hitting 14-of-18 in the second stanza. They sank the clutch shots, shooting 57 percent in the final 20 minutes.

"We've got all the components now, and the guys are playing tough at the end of the game," junior guard Chris Rogers said. "Everyone walks in confident we can play."

Parkhill sees enough of that confidence to no longer be surprised when his team plays tough away from Happy Valley. Pointing to the Lions' two-point loss at Minnesota two weeks ago, the coach said he expects his team to be in every contest.

"We went to Minnesota and we played with a really good demeanor up there and had a chance to win the ballgame," Parkhill said. "So I really would have been disappointed had we not at least played with a good demeanor and competed."

If Parkhill isn't happy enough with his team right now, he should be even more pleased to hear that his team isn't getting complacent with its success.

"This game was way too close at the end," senior center John Amaechi said. "We did things that could've lost us the game."

Maybe so, but more important, they also did things that won them the game. And if their play so far is any indication, the Lions might just keep doing those things.

"We expect to win on the road," junior forward Glenn Sekunda said. "This team is confident on the road, and we plan to win a few more."