For the first time in literally months, more than two Penn State men's basketball players had double-digits to the right of their names on the Bryce Jordan Center scoreboard.

During their 13-game losing streak, the only consistent Nittany Lions averaging double figures were junior swingman Geary Claxton and sophomore forward Jamelle Cornley.

And though the dynamic duo once again filled the stat sheets -- Cornley scored 20 points to go along with 13 rebounds while Claxton provided 18 -- perhaps the most important points last night came from a pair of soft-spoken guards.

In Penn State's win over Iowa -- its first victory in 56 days -- Mike Walker and David "Mooch" Jackson stepped up and eased the heavy scoring burden normally placed upon Cornley and Claxton.

Jackson stormed out of the gate on a mission. Playing in the final home game of his Penn State career, he knocked down three treys in the opening frame. His 12 points led all scorers in the first half and helped the Lions build a three-point halftime lead.

"In the first half, Mooch had the hot hand, and he was hitting shots and shooting the ball well" Walker said.

"That's been one thing that's been missing all season, a guard that can step up and get [points]. Tonight, we did it, and we won."

After intermission, Jackson's shots were limited (he only attempted two), but instead of lacking that third scorer, another Lion stepped up to pick up the slack.

Walker stole Jackson's shooting fire in the locker room and started draining threes. Making his first start since December of 2005, the sharpshooter connected on five long-range shots, including four in the second half, to pour in 17 points.

Walker said being a part of the starting lineup allowed him to get a better feel for the game than he has during much of this season.

"Naturally it's easier when you play 30-35 minutes to get into the flow and take your time," Walker said. "You have a lot more opportunities to take shots and hit shots and I've just been trying to be more confident in myself and shooting the ball when I'm open."

His threes not only gave the Lions points, but they also provided emotional lifts for the team and the fans.

Walker's timing was impeccable. On four occasions, his shots regained Penn State leads. And his final trey, with 3:26 remaining, put the Lions ahead for good and brought the BJC crowd to its feet, bouncing to the beats of Zombie Nation.

The 29 combined points from Jackson and Walker is something head coach Ed DeChellis has been searching for during the second-half of the season. All year long he has waited for a third threat and he finally got one last night.

"[Getting added scoring] was big," DeChellis said. "We had four guys in double figures and we haven't had that since Northwestern which was our last win. We had everybody pitch in tonight. It was just a great team effort."