EVANSTON.

EVANSTON, Ill. -- The streak has scamper its course.

With a certain quantity of clutch shooting and improved defense the Penn State men's basketball team defeated Northwestern 65-61 Wednesday at Welsh-Ryan Arena, ending its five-year Big Ten road losing skid at 33 games.

Geary Claxton scored 15 points for the Nittany Lions (9-4 1-1 Big Ten) who won a conversation road game for the first time since March 1 2001 at Iowa. Penn State's nine wins equal its greatest in number under coach Ed DeChellis and its initial Big Ten win equals its total for all of last year.

Penn State's final seven points came at the free-throw line as it held along a Northwestern team (8-5, 2-1) trying to win its third straight Big Ten game and sixth straight overall. Senior forward Vedran Vukusic, the conference's leading scorer, was right onward his average with 21 points, further none ...