There is no looking back for the Penn State men's basketball team.

Following a solid win against Ohio State Wednesday, the Nittany Lions (10-3, 1-2 Big Ten) will take on Northwestern at 8 p.m. tomorrow in The Bryce Jordan Center.

After struggling to hold leads late in the second half against Michigan State and Iowa, Penn State finally put it together and came away with its first Big Ten win against the Buckeyes 78-75.

Led by the solid play of its starters, the Lions hung tough in the waning moments to grab their first victory in the Big Ten.

"That was a huge win for us," Tyler Smith said. "Anytime we can get a road win its a big win for us."

Smith, who had nine points and two steals, was a key factor in the win as he continues to play more and more of factor on the floor for the Lions.

While it might have only been the third game in the Big Ten season for Penn State, the win was exactly what the Lions needed to prepare for a trio of road games after doing battle with the Wildcats on Saturday.

"Given our position we just needed to get a victory on the road," Gyasi Cline-Heard said. "We lost one at home and we needed to get a win, since we needed to pick up some ground and take advantage of what we have."

In the game, Penn State struggled from the free-throw line by going 11-21. Despite its trouble from the foul line, the Lions knocked down 50 percent of their three-point attempts.

A pair of 3-pointers in the second half came in crucial moments of the game.

"Yeah, B.J., came off the bench for us and hit a big shot," Jon Crispin said.

A few minutes later it was Smith dialing up from long distance.

"A couple of possessions before I had an open look and didn't take it and Titus was saying, 'Shoot the ball man', and then when he dished it to me I didn't think twice," Smith said.

With Smith and the rest of the Lions clicking on all cylinders from outside, it gave Ohio State all it could handle.

Although it appeared as though all of the Lions answers came from the outside the 3-point line, they did get 13 points from Cline-Heard inside the post.

Regardless of Penn State's continued struggles on the boards after getting out-rebounded by 14 against the Buckeyes, they hope to have better success against Northwestern.

The Wildcats (7-8, 0-3 Big Ten) have struggled all season. Despite winning against USC earlier this season, the Wildcats have had no success in the Big Ten so far, with losses to Ohio State, Michigan State and Purdue.

With three of Penn State's biggest challenges on the road with Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin following the Northwestern game, the Lions know that focusing on the Wildcats is still the main priority.

"You know anything can happen in the Big Ten," Cline-Heard said, "and you always have to prepare yourself for every team, no matter who it is."