Michigan needed a win.

Three straight conference losses put a team with NCAA Tournament hopes on its heels. And though Penn State had dropped two straight, including a 43-point beating on Wednesday at Illinois, the Nittany Lions seemed happy to oblige.

The Wolverines (11-5, 2-3 Big Ten) didn't bring their top game to Happy Valley, but it was more than enough to defeat an uninterested Penn State side (8-8, 2-3), 69-59, on Saturday at the Bryce Jordan Center.

"We didn't play like a team that had just come off of an embarrassing loss," Penn State men's basketball coach Ed DeChellis said. "And we didn't play as hard as we could to win this game. I didn't see the grit and determination of a team that just got beat by 40 on the road."

It was, perhaps, the first time this season that a clearly disappointed DeChellis was upset with his team's effort -- his main focus as to why his team lost. He talked about sensing that his team was lacking in confidence before the game even started.

"You get a feel when you walk into the locker room and talk to your team," DeChellis said. "I just didn't see it in their eyes and that's just unfortunate. It's a very horrible feeling."

The Lions were continually on the verge of closing in on the Wolverines, but Michigan's athleticism and timely shooting held the home team at bay for the duration of the game.

Closing within nine points midway through the second half, the Lions were on a modest 8-2 run when the Wolverines destroyed their momentum. A tremendous pass from Daniel Horton to forward Brent Petway, who got well above the rim, resulted in an alley-oop that took the wind out of the Lions.

Though Horton didn't start because of unspecified academic reasons, the Woverines' guards still did the most damage. Three of them, including Horton, scored in double figures, led by Lester Abram's 19.

The game still wasn't as close as the 10-point deficit suggested.

"We looked at this game as a situation where our backs were against the wall and I think we played with that sense of urgency this afternoon," Michigan coach Tommy Amaker said. "The energy we played with at the start of the game gave us a cushion, and the win reflected that energy."

Even a decent-sized crowd of 11,046 followed the Lions' lead, displaying little emotion during the game to the point where a small, but devoted Michigan student section could be heard above the rest of the arena.

DeChellis now faces preparing his team for a Northwestern game that will likely either revitalize it or further the downward spin they are in the midst of.

It won't be easy.