The fifth-ranked Penn State men's gymnastics team knows that it doesn't matter how you start; it's all about how you finish.

Of the 2,395 fans who came out Saturday night to watch the Nittany Lions and Big Ten rival No. 4 Michigan slug it out at the Bryce Jordan Center, probably not many can recall Penn State's shaky start on the floor exercise.

What they remember is the emphatic 9.9 that Luis Vargas scored on the high bar to secure a season-high score and a 222.600-219.975 victory for the Lions against the Wolverines.

"We didn't start out well," Penn State head coach Randy Jepson said. "But the thing I'm happy about is we didn't let it get to us, and we had a little fortitude ... we came out strongly at the end with our high bar routines."

The 9.9 on the final event was a career high for Vargas, and the second-highest score on an individual apparatus in school history. Not only did he perform above and beyond on high bar, but he also outclassed the field by taking four of six events en route to the all-around title.

A perennial all-around champion, Vargas has inspired his teammates. He embraces the leadership role that has emerged from his success.

"It's my turn to work with those guys and help them to get better every day," he said.

This meet was not a typical home visit. The event was held at the Bryce Jordan Center instead of Rec Hall, and the men competed alongside the women as a double dual.

The differences in venue did not seem to affect the team too much.

"It's a little bit of an adjustment to the arena, maybe," assistant coach Rob Saliski said. "Just like any competition, it takes one or two events to get the butterflies out."

The team got past the butterflies in time for the pommel horse, an apparatus where it has struggled as of late.

Team captain Steve Tobin took note: "Our pommel horse team has been doing a lot of work in practice. It's going to show when you compete."

Jepson was impressed with the improvement, but he knows that there is still a higher level to be accomplished.

"Pommel horse is still not [at] what we can do. We can do cleaner routines than that," he said.

Jepson praised a few of his athletes for stepping it up on a big stage. Freshman Derek Helsby pulled out a few clutch routines, and Tobin upped his performance to take third on the floor exercise on parallel bars.

Tobin attributed his solid night to the hard work he has put in at during the week.

Unlike Allen Iverson, he does not shy away from talking about practice.

"I've been training routines a lot harder in practice," Tobin said, "[making] sure when I go up there, I'll help motivate the other guys."

Heading into the thick of tough competition -- No. 1 Ohio State next weekend -- with a decisive win in hand, Tobin warns to beware of his team.

"We can't be overlooked, just because we're ranked fifth," he said.

"We're not a team you can just put aside and expect to beat. We proved that."