In its first big test of the year, the Penn State men's basketball team stepped up to the challenge with an impressive 83-80 road victory over Rutgers (2-1) at the Louis Brown Athletic Center in New Jersey.

The Nittany Lions (4-2) were able to hold on to a slim lead throughout the second half and hit crucial free throws in the final minutes to ensure the victory. Both freshman Geary Claxton and junior transfer Travis Parker took advantage of their opportunities when the Lions needed it most, hitting 5-8 from the foul line in the final 30 seconds.

"I think this is a very important win for us," Penn State coach Ed DeChellis said after the game on the Penn State radio network. "It gave our players a great feel for what it's like to win and win on the road, and I'm very, very proud of them. The effort that they put here this evening was just outstanding."

The Scarlet Knights were 2-0 heading into the game and coming off a 20-13 record and a NIT Championship game appearance last season.

Not only was the win one of the biggest under DeChellis in his second year behind the bench, but the Lions had to depend on their youth even more than they could have expected. Guard Marlon Smith injured his left ankle a few minutes into the game and did not return.

After Smith went out, DeChellis tried to keep his team relaxed and focused by having it only think about what was happening at the current time instead of worrying about the big picture.

"We tried to help the young kids," DeChellis said.

"Instead of thinking about the whole game, just focus in on four minutes at a time."

Freshman guard Danny Morrissey picked up the slack in Smith's absence, shooting 4-of-6 from behind the arc for 12 points on the night. It was his 3-pointers that kept Penn State in the game at the start as the Scarlet Knights jumped out to an early lead.

"[We] were very resilient," DeChellis said. "We got behind, we talked about taking the first punch and being able to come back and punch them back."

And punch back they did, in a first half that was more wide-open than anyone could have possibly expected. The game was knotted at 49 heading into the half as Penn State shot an incredible 70 percent from the floor, while Rutgers was not far behind at 53 percent.

Penn State took control in the second half, leading for almost the entire 20 minutes after Rutgers hit an early field goal to start the period.

Both Claxton and fellow freshman Mike Walker also had a big game for the Lions. Walker played the entire game, racking up 15 points, while Claxton had 17 points to go along with his stellar defensive play.

Forward Aaron Johnson had his usual presence on the boards and tied Claxton for the team lead with 17 points of his own. Parker added 15 to give the Lions five double-digit scorers on the night.

DeChellis hopes his squad can use the game as a stepping stone for the rest of the season.

"I thought it was good for us to play in an environment like this so they know exactly what we're going to see in the Big Ten and see on the road next Monday against Georgetown," he said.