GAME NOTES: After a very successful non-conference run, the Penn State Nittany Lions are finding the Big Ten schedule not so favorable.

The team is back in action on Tuesday night in hopes of finally recording that first conference win against Indiana.

Aside from a 106-97 loss to Charlotte during the Charleston Classic in November, the Nittany Lions had no trouble navigating the non-conference slate, finishing with a mark of 9-1. However, Big Ten play has been an entirely different story with the squad losing three straight, starting with an 89-72 defeat at Wisconsin on New Year's Eve and continuing with a 73-64 loss to Michigan last week at home.

Meanwhile, the Hoosiers have the same overall record as PSU at 12-4, but at least three of those defeats are understandable. Except for the surprising setback versus Eastern Washington at home just before Thanksgiving, Indiana's losses to fourth-ranked Louisville, Georgetown in overtime and Michigan State could be expected.

On a more positive note, after going down against the Spartans last week, the Hoosiers picked themselves back up and proceeded to take out 22nd-ranked Ohio State on Saturday by a narrow 69-66 margin. It was the 18th win for Indiana against a Top-25 program since 2011-12.

Indiana has dominated the series with the Nittany Lions, winning 34 of the 44 meetings dating back to their inaugural battle in Alaska in 1978. Last season the teams split a pair of outings, with each winning on the other's home floor. In February, the Lions snapped a six-game series slide with a narrow 66-65 triumph in Bloomington.

Against the Wolverines, Penn State shot only 32.1 percent from the floor in the first half and was forced to play from behind the rest of the way, so it didn't matter much that the program converted 52.0 percent in the second half. D.J. Newbill was responsible for 20 points and six rebounds, followed by John Johnson who converted 4-of-8 shots behind the 3-point line in order to come up with 16 points off the bench.

Newbill, now the face of the Nittany Lions, has at least held a share of the scoring lead in all but one game this season, which explains how he has generated an impressive 21.3 ppg. As someone who is not afraid to force the action at the offensive end of the floor, Newbill has made more free throws (85-of-115) than any of his teammates have yet to attempt. But more than just a scorer, Newbill is also first on the team with 47 assists and 24 steals, not to mention placing third on the glass with 4.7 rpg.

Indiana led by as many as 11 points against the Buckeyes, but the hosts needed a pair of free throws by Kevin Ferrell in the final seconds in order to secure the three-point win at Assembly Hall on Saturday afternoon. Ferrell, who converted all but one of his eight free-throw attempts, finished with just 10 points after hitting a mere 1-of-8 from the floor overall. James Blackmon Jr. accounted for 18 points and seven rebounds, while Troy Williams came away with a double-double consisting of 15 points and a game-high 12 rebounds versus an OSU group that shot only 34.3 percent from the field and 3-of-21 behind the 3- point line.

One of four players to have started every game, Blackmon Jr. has taken the lead on offense for the Hoosiers with his 16.7 ppg, shooting almost as well from 3-point range (.404) as he is from the field overall (.429), while also accounting for 5.6 rpg. Ferrell checks in with 15.9 ppg and is also a perimeter threat for Indiana with 41.3 percent accuracy on the outside, while also serving as the floor general with his 75 assists. Williams produces another 12.7 ppg for a program that is one of the highest-scoring in the country at 82.0 ppg.

Newbill is definitely a top performer in the Big Ten, but if no one else is capable of stepping up and producing major numbers for the Nittany Lions as well, the team is destined to fall against opponents like Indiana which has so many contributors on offense.