The best defensive team in the Big Ten took its iron curtain on the road last night, throwing it across the Wisconsin Field House and negating the Badgers' superstars in a nationally televised 78-67 win.

The Badgers clawed back late, cutting the Lion lead from a game-high 18 points down to seven with a late 14-3 run, but Penn State hit 6-of-8 free throws in the final minute to ensure the win.

The Lions (12-3, 4-2 Big Ten) were led by Glenn Sekunda's 16 points and 11 rebounds, John Amaechi's 16 points and 6 rebounds and Dan Earl's 12 points and 9 assists. But the squad will have little time to enjoy the win, as it returns home to host Purdue at 8 p.m. tomorrow in Rec Hall.

"For the most part, we're really happy," Lion Coach Bruce Parkhill said in a postgame radio interview. "It's a terrific win for us."

The Lions' second consecutive conference road win came in the same manner as most of their wins this season -- with defense. The Badgers made only 35 percent of their shots from the floor, a pace led by All-America candidate Michael Finley. The senior forward needed 27 shots to pour in 27 points.

The other half of Wisconsin's award-candidate tandem, sophomore center Rashard Griffith, fouled out in the second half with only 10 points and 4 rebounds.

"Finley is a fantastic player, and he got his points," Parkhill said. "I thought the guys did a real good job on (Griffith)."

The Lions may have done their best job in the beginning of the second half, when they rattled off seven straight points to extend their 34-31 halftime lead to 10 points.

"I was really happy with the start we had in the second half," Parkhill said.

Penn State pushed the lead as far as 14 before the Badgers cut it to seven with about nine minutes left in the game. Wisconsin's comeback bid was thwarted when Griffith was called for his fifth foul with 7:22 left, leaving his team shallow in the post.

Penn State eventually worked the lead close to 20 points before the Badgers' fullcourt pressure got them back in it, forcing the Lions into the kind of rushed play they caused them 21 turnovers on the night.

But the clock had run too far, and the lead proved big enough.

"We're fortunate that we were in a position where it didn't hurt us," Parkhill said of the Lions' turnover woes.

Penn State led much of the first half, and was greatly helped by the absence of Griffith for much of the first period. The massive pivot man, who held Amaechi to four points and two rebounds in their first meeting last season, missed much of the opening stanza after earning two early fouls.

Penn State took advantage of Griffith's departure and went on an early 10-0 run to take a 14-5 lead with 11:20 left in the half. The Badgers narrowed the gap to two, 19-17, at the 7:49 mark, before the Lions rattled off eight straight to build a 10-point edge. But Wisconsin outscored the Lions 14-4 to tie the contest at 31-31 on Andy Kilbride's 3-pointer.

Sekunda took charge during the final moments of the first half. On consecutive possessions, the junior forward was swatted twice by Finley, but finally worked off a screen to swish a 3-pointer with a half-minute left, giving the Lions their three-point halftime edge.