Determined to make a difference, Brandon Watkins is exactly what the Penn State men's basketball team needed in the past couple of games.

Watkins has stepped up at crucial times in the last couple meetings with Big Ten teams and connected on shots that have enabled the Nittany Lions (11-3, 2-2 Big Ten) to pull away with victories against Ohio State and Northwestern.

In Saturday's win against the Wildcats, Watkins came into the game for a struggling Joe Crispin.

"He did a great job for us," Crispin said. "That was the biggest thing — he made a concentrated effort to get after it and bring more energy to the table. That is all we ask him to do."

Crispin, who takes the majority of Penn State's shots, was struggling midway through the second half and was pulled from the game. Watkins stepped in for him and connected on all three of his attempts, including a three-pointer that closed Northwestern's gap to eight points midway through the second half.

Watkins' three-point shot cut the Wildcats' lead to eight and triggered Penn State to go on a 28-13 run to close Northwestern out.

"I knew we were down a couple and I knew that was a big shot for me," Watkins said. "All my teammates always say that, that's what I do is hit big shots but for me every shot is a big shot."

In the past two games, Watkins' contributions have come in important times for him and the Lions.

"Brandon gave a tremendous lift off the bench," Penn State head coach Jerry Dunn said.

"I thought Brandon is starting to be himself after overcoming the injuries he had. He is starting to play like Brandon Watkins. He's starting to show the pop in his game that he did not have earlier on."

Although he's only a sophomore and plays behind the Lions leading scorer, Crispin, he is slowly finding his own path to success.

"I feel I definitely improved on my shot and my confidence on the floor," he said. "They expect a lot out of me when I come off the bench to run the show and play hard on defense. I feel I have done that the last couple of games and I just don't want to stop here. I just want to take it to the next level."

Throughout the past couple of games Penn State's bench has been criticized for its lack of production. After scoring a combined 10 points in a pair of games against Michigan State and Iowa to open the Big Ten schedule, there was reason for the criticism.

But Watkins would like to change all of that and, by the way he has been playing of late, that might be happening sooner rather than later.

"The more I knock it down the more I feel my teammates will depend on me," Watkins said.