Hitting the road to Penn State

The last time IU saw Penn State, the Hoosiers didn't do much of anything well.\nIU shot just 28 percent from the field and hit just one of 14 three-pointers. After finding themselves down by four points at halftime, the Hoosiers managed to stay in the game despite making only five second half field goals.\nWith all that working against them, IU hit 25 of 29 free throws in the second half to comeback to steal a 61-54 win at Assembly Hall Jan. 5. With so much going against them, Mike Davis can't help but feel fortunate for the Hoosiers' win.\n"We shouldn't have won that game," he said. \nThe Hoosiers did win and took enough momentum out of the ugly win that they ripped Michigan State and Iowa before falling to Ohio State Saturday. Now the Hoosiers are looking to tonight's game at Bryce Jordan Center in State College, Pa., as their chance to get back on track.\nTonight's game will be the finale of a three-game road trip for the Hoosiers (11-6, 4-1). After winning at Iowa and losing against the Buckeyes in Columbus, IU is 1-1 so far. With Illinois set to be in Assembly Hall Saturday afternoon, the Hoosiers know it is important to win tonight.\n"If we can get two out of these three road games, that's going to be our key," Jarrad Odle said. "We have to win our home games, and if we can keep picking up wins on the road here and there, we'll be OK. We have to win two out of these three road games."\nAfter tonight, IU will play five of the next six games at Assembly Hall. To open the conference season with five wins in six games and have three of those wins come on the road would put the Hoosiers in a good position. A win tonight puts IU alone in second place in the conference standings.\n"That game is a big game. Really big game," Davis said. "To have (three) road wins out of your first six, (four) on the road (is big). The Wednesday game is so important for us because if you can go up and get 2 out of three on the road, that will really help your chances to compete for a Big Ten championship."\nThree weeks ago the Nittany Lions (5-11, 1-4) romped on the Hoosiers behind the shooting of guards Brandon Watkins and Sharif Chambliss. Penn State led by as many as 14 in the first half while IU struggled to find the basket.\n"We put the ball in the basket. When you're doing that you have a chance to win games," Penn State coach Jerry Dunn said.\nSince the Hoosiers couldn't put the ball in the hoop from the field, they found their way to the free throw line and hit 32 of 38 free throws for the game. But since that game, IU has shot the ball reasonably well, especially against Michigan State.\nEven though Saturday's loss dropped the Hoosiers from the conference's top spot, they are more concerned with the two games coming up this week.\n"We're still playing well," Jared Jeffries said after Saturday's loss. "We lost this game, but it's not like we didn't play well."\nThe Nittany Lions are a half-game up over last place Purdue in the conference standings. The Hoosiers have already beaten Penn State once, but IU has had trouble winning in State College. \nLast season, the Hoosiers had to go into overtime before pulling out an 85-78 win. IU won by the same score two years ago at the Bryce Jordan Center and three years ago the teams went into double overtime before the Hoosiers won, 98-95.\nOverall, IU has beaten Penn State nine consecutive times.\nWith No. 9 Illinois coming to Bloomington Saturday for a nationally televised game, Davis wants his team to go into the contest with only one conference loss. Looking past the Nittany Lions isn't an option, especially if the Hoosiers play as poorly as they did earlier this month.\n"If we can win on Wednesday and come in 5-1, it will be a statement game," Davis said. "We knew coming into the season Illinois was the team to beat. We're not going to look ahead to Illinois"