Ed DeChellis said he wrote three keys to winning on a board before Wednesday's loss at Michigan State -- toughness, transition defense and rebounding.

But, as the 76-58 score suggested, none of those keys were accomplished.

"I wrote them on the board, but we didn't do them," DeChellis said. "Everybody has got to bring their 'A' game. There's not a lot of margin for error."

And there's even less of a margin when you're barely able to field an intra-squad five-on-five game, as is the case for the Nittany Lions.

Now, halfway through their schedule, the Lions figure to have an uphill battle the rest of the way -- one that will seriously test their stamina.

Though it's too early to say that the game against the Spartans is a sign of things to come, fatigue could play a major role for the Lions down the stretch.

Transfers and injuries have severely limited DeChellis' progress in installing the up-tempo system that he ran at East Tennessee State. He simply doesn't have the numbers or depth to be able to run up and down the court the entire game.

And, while the tempo is higher in practice than in the games, DeChellis said the injuries have further hampered his efforts. The latest to join the walking wounded is forward Ndu Egekeze, who has been slowed by a foot injury, according to DeChellis.

"It's been a slow, progressing thing," DeChellis said of the injury. "We've had to limit his practice."

DeChellis said the X-rays on Egekeze's foot were negative, but the team doctors have been carefully monitoring him for a stress fracture that may develop in the future.

If Egekeze was to see reduced playing time because of the injury, it could put even further pressure on the team, as only five other players see a significant amount of time on the floor.

Despite potential problems with fatigue, DeChellis has made it clear to his players that effort will be the main factor for playing time. The coach was unhappy with Jan Jagla's performance during Wednesday's game and the big man saw 25 minutes of action, five less than his season average.

"He didn't play very tough or strong," DeChellis said. "We'll put somebody else in the game. That's just the way it is. He didn't have it that night, so we go with somebody else."

Though Jagla's performance will play a major role in the success of the team in the season's second half, DeChellis pointed out that big games from the 7-footer will not be a necessity to win. He referenced Marlon Smith's 23-point showing against Ohio State -- a game the Lions won without a dominant performance from Jagla.

"We need guys to step up on individual nights," DeChellis said. "Whoever that is, I don't think we really care. If we can spread things out and have different guys lead us in scoring and rebounding, that's a positive thing."