The descent toward the bottom of the Big Ten has hit the lowest of lows for the Penn State men’s basketball team, as a loss to perennial bottom-feeder Northwestern, 53-51, extended the Nittany Lions’ (10-13, 1-9 Big Ten) losing streak to nine games.

Geary Claxton, who led Penn State with 16 points on the day, couldn’t connect on a last second opportunity to send the game into overtime. After a spin to the basket against Wildcat guard Tim Doyle, Claxton’s shot inside the paint came up short.

Doyle came up with the rebound and quickly chucked the ball down the court to no one in particular to let the clock run out on Northwestern’s (12-12, 2-9 Big Ten) time in the Big Ten cellar. Penn State now sits alone in last place.

Northwestern, scoring a Big Ten worst 56.3 points per game, were not threatened offensively by a Penn State team that could only manage 39 percent shooting from the floor. Also, the Wildcats converted 21 points off of turnovers, including 12 fast break points to the Lions’ two.

Penn State head coach Ed DeChellis said before the game to the Penn State Radio Network that rebounding would be key to finding his team’s first road win. Instead, the Lions managed to outrebound the Wildcats, 30-28, but still find themselves 0-7 on the road this season.

The Lions trailed at halftime, 39-27, but found themselves trailing only by two points with 3:34 remaining in the second half when guard Danny Morrissey hit a three-pointer to make the score 49-47.

After Jamelle Cornley could only hit 1-of-2 free throws to cut the lead to one, Northwestern’s Craig Moore, his team’s fourth-leading three-point shooter, hit a shot from beyond the arc to push the lead back to four.

Then with 2:05 remaining, guard Mike Walker, who was the only other player for Penn State to hit double figures with 12 points, sank a trey for the Lions’ last points of the game.

The Big Ten schedule doesn’t provide Penn State with any breaks, either. After today’s loss, the Lions will return home and prepare for a stretch where they play No. 3 Ohio State twice and No. 4 Wisconsin on the road.