The Gophers dropped their fifth consecutive game and lost a double-digit second-half lead for the third time in Big Ten play this season, falling 58-54 to Penn State on Thursday night in a women's basketball game in State College, Pa.

The Gophers (8-10, 0-5) led by led by 11 points with 16 minutes, 39 seconds left. They got 19 points from junior guard Kiara Buford, while sophomore forward Katie Loberg added 18. No other Gophers starter had more than four points.

"I think we played very well defensively against the highest-scoring team in the conference, but we made some mistakes in the second half that allowed them to close the gap quickly," Gophers coach Pam Borton said. "They made a three-pointer and got a layup in transition, and it felt like they got right back into the game in a span of about three minutes."

The Gophers are 0-5 in the Big Ten for the first time since the 2000-01 season, when they went 1-15 in league play. It also is their longest Big Ten losing streak since they lost six in a row last season.

The Gophers defense held Penn State (14-4, 3-1) to 24 points -- tied for the Lady Lions' second-lowest of the season for a half -- and 33 percent shooting in the opening half, but the Lady Lions heated up after the break, making 12 of 28 attempts, including 4-for-7 on three-pointers. Penn State's Maggie Lucas made all four of those three-pointers and finished with a game-high 20 points -- her second consecutive 20-point game -- while Mia Nickson added 12 points and 11 rebounds.

Penn State committed 26 turnovers but recorded its first home victory over the Gophers since February 2007. The Lady Lions had lost six in a row to Minnesota before beating the Gophers in the 2010 Big Ten tournament.

The Gophers trailed 19-17 before Loberg scored six of her 10 first-half points, giving the Gophers a 23-19 lead with 1:18 to play in the first half. After a Penn State basket, sophomore guard Leah Cotton nailed a three-pointer from the right corner -- her only basket of the game -- for a 26-21 lead. The Gophers went to the locker room with a 26-24 advantage.