IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) -- As the favorite and the only Big Ten team without a loss in league play, Penn State is wearing a big target on its back.

	Iowa's Lindsey Meder looks for an outlet as Penn State's Andrea Garner defends.

That's just fine with point guard Helen Darling.

"There is a lot of pressure, but after being the underdog for three years, it's kind of nice to be on top," Darling said after the fifth-ranked Lady Lions beat Iowa 78-64 Sunday.

Katrena Carr led five double-figure scorers with a career-high 16 points and Lisa Shepherd hit three key 3-pointers as Penn State won for the 11th straight time. It did not come easily, though.

Even with 13-0 and 11-0 runs, Penn State (15-2, 6-0 Big Ten) had to fight off the Hawkeyes to the end. With 14 minutes left, Penn State led by only two.

"I think that's the welcome liability of being the only undefeated team in the conference," Penn State coach Rene Portland said.

"It's real easy to be on the underdog side. I think you have to show some poise when you're on the side we're on, and I do think there were times during that game we did show some poise."

Though it scrapped and clawed throughout, Iowa (5-10, 2-4) was done in by its poor shooting. The Hawkeyes missed numerous open shots and finished 23 of 60 from the field, 38.3 percent.

"I thought we gave them a game," Iowa coach Angie Lee said. "It just showed our youth. Right now Penn State is playing good basketball and they have experience. And I think at the end, their experience really ended up winning out."

Darling added 14 points for Penn State, which has not lost since an 87-74 setback to No. 1 Connecticut on Dec. 5. Maren Walseth scored 10 of her 12 points in the second half, while Shepherd and Andrea Garner each had 11.

Shepherd's 3-pointer just before halftime gave Penn State a 38-35 lead after Iowa had overcome a 5-minute scoring drought and a 12-point deficit to forge a tie at 35 on Patrice Jennings' two free throws with 7.1 seconds remaining.

Shepherd and Chrissy Falcone hit consecutive 3-pointers early in the second half to extend Penn State's lead to 46-37, but Iowa kept battling.

An 8-1 run that Randi Peterson finished with a basket inside cut the lead to 51-49 with 12:37 remaining. That's when the Hawkeyes seemed to run out of gas as Penn State scored the next 11 points to pull away.

"I was tired," Peterson said. "They had faster posts than we do. It's always got to be a sprint. Especially with teams like that that have so many threats flying down the floor. It's a rat race the whole time."

Carr started the decisive run by hitting a jumper while being closely guarded by Lindsey Meder. A sophomore whose previous best had been 14 points, Carr made all seven of her shots, including a 3-pointer.

Walseth twice drove for layups, Darling sank two free throws and then hit a wide-open Shepherd on the left wing for a 3-pointer that made it 62-49.

The lead grew to 70-53 with 4:30 remaining when Garner and Walseth beat Iowa down the floor for back-to-back layups.

"We have two post players that there's no one in the league that can run with," Portland said. "We're able to get our post players down the floor for wide-open layups."

Meder led Iowa with 18 points but needed 17 shots to get her five baskets. Peterson had 13 points, 15 rebounds, three blocks and two steals.