Coming into the weekend, the Northwestern women's basketball team was winless in all 12 of its conference games. And, not to mention, the Wildcats were in the midst of an 18-game losing streak.

Talk about stealing one on the road? This one probably looked pretty juicy.

But, again, the Lady Lions managed to falter. They lost, 64-61, yesterday in Evanston, Ill., and earned the lowly distinction of snapping the nearly season-long losing streak for Northwestern.

"This is unbelievable," Northwestern head coach Beth Combs said, according to a press release. "I am so proud of my team. I hope we can take this momentum with us and carry it with us down the stretch."

The loss bumps Penn State into an uncomfortable area in the teeming Big Ten middle ground. Penn State (12-13, 5-7 Big Ten) has slipped below .500 again and is now right in the middle of the conference standings. A win could have potentially shifted it up a spot.

If the Lady Lions have designs on making the NCAA Tournament, it appears that they will have to win out -- which would include upsetting No. 4 Ohio State on the road -- in order to do so. Even then, it might be too late.

On the road, Penn State is now 2-12 overall and 0-6 in conference play.

Coming into yesterday's game, Northwestern (7-19, 1-12) was being outscored by an average of 21 points per game in Big Ten play. In fact, when Penn State and Northwestern met on Jan. 4 in the Bryce Jordan Center, the Lady Lions won by 32.

But yesterday, not even 24 points from freshman guard Tyra Grant could help Penn State, which shot 45.1 percent from the field but only 58.3 percent from the free-throw line.

Grant was helped by senior center Amanda Brown, who had her 10th career double-double, with 19 points and 17 rebounds. Junior guard Kam Gissendanner had 12.

Northwestern also had three players in double figures, led by freshman guard Beth Marshall, who had 14.

The Wildcats held the largest lead of the game halfway

through the second half, but they only managed to go up by five. Penn State, which came into yesterday's game winners of three of its last four games, resiliently fought back in the end but couldn't overcome Northwestern.

Notes: Freshman guard Meggan Quinn will miss the remainder of the season with a torn ACL and MCL in her right knee, a press release said Saturday.

She was injured in practice last Thursday, though sports information director Kris Petersen said she did not see how it occurred.

Quinn, who did not make the Northwestern trip, underwent an MRI over the weekend.

She is being tended to by Lady Lions' trainer Andra Thomas and two team doctors, Bobbi Millard and Wayne Sebastianelli, Petersen said. Sebastianelli performed surgery on Penn State football coach Joe Paterno's knee earlier during the football season. At this point, there are no plans for Quinn to have surgery, Petersen said.

The loss of Quinn shortens Penn State's already depleted bench at the guard spot. Adrienne Squire, a junior, left the team earlier this year and Mashea Williams and Gissendanner have battled nagging injuries this year.