Defense wins games, but in the Penn State Nittany Lion men's basketball teams' case, the defense has been unable to overcome a poor offensive effort.

Coming off of a Pittsburgh blowout, sophomore forward DeForrest Riley-Smith expressed a desire to see some more opportunities to get the ball in his hands and take shots.

After dishing out 10 assists in the Pitt game, Riley-Smith would have possession of the ball more in the meeting with Big East foe Rutgers, getting his wish to make more shots. Although he scored 15 points and shot 6-of-14 from the field in the first half, Riley-Smith cooled off fast. His season high thus far for points (14), was surpassed in the first half, but he did little else the rest of the game, suffering along with the rest of the Lions, shooting 7-for-23 from the field.

He was still the top scorer on the night with 20 points, and was the only player on the team to make a three-point shot (3-for-11). He served as a prime example of the good things that can come out of this Lions season, even when shooting poorly percentage wise.

Men's basketball head coach Ed DeChellis noted the inconsistencies facing the young team and the frustrations imminent in his players, but also pointed out the capabilities of players like Riley-Smith.

"We got DeForrest some shots, but we couldn't get over the hump and get the momentum going," DeChellis said. "He wasn't shy about shooting. Give him the ball and he's a pretty good shooter."

Facing the loss of scholarship player Brandon Cameron, and acknowledging the inexperience of freshman guards Ben Luber and Marlon Smith, DeChellis emphasized the importance of having his experienced players gain confidence in their shots. Riley-Smith and forward Jan Jagla are going to have to become even more prominent in the offense.

"I'm not sure offensively we can just grind it out night after night and try to score," he said. "We have to figure out how to create off of our defense. We have to get easy baskets. We didn't get any easy baskets tonight."

The Lions' 28.1 percent shooting night kept them from capitalizing on a solid defensive performance. They held the Scarlett Knights to 35 percent shooting.

Despite the loss, the team remained optimistic. Sophomore forward Aaron Johnson compared the experience of the season thus far with that of last season.

"We won three games," Johnson said. "Last year we were 0-6 by now, and look at our fans. We actually have a student section now."