GRAHAM: Defense Travels

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. – Defense travels.

Offense can ebb and flow, as it certainly did Tuesday night for Indiana at Penn State, but defense can remain constant. You can take it on the road with you, which is especially meaningful in the rugged Big Ten.

And it seemed entirely appropriate that a defensive play – IU's Rob Phinisee stripping the ball away from PSU's Lamar Stevens on a Nittany Lion inbounds pass – sealed Indiana's 64-62 victory.

Phinisee is not afraid to make such plays. He helped the Hoosiers win in a lot of other ways on both ends, too, as did fellow frosh Romeo Langford.

"He was the deciding factor in the game," Penn State coach Pat Chambers said of Phinisee.

But it also loomed large…