After Saturday night's game with West Virginia, a net opened and balloons drifted slowly to the floor. The women's basketball team started throwing pieces of confetti and the crowd gave Coach Rene Portland a standing ovation.

The celebration marked Portland's 300th victory, a mark shared by only 20 other active coaches. In only 14 years as a head coach, she has accumulated a record of 300-113, an average of 21 wins a season.

"It was wonderful," she said. "To be honest, everything we do this season I will treasure an awful lot. Not until (the players) get in my position will they realize how much their efforts make this 300th win possible. It means a lot; I just hope I have another 300 in me."

Athletic Director Jim Tarman and Association Athletic Director Ellen Perry presented Portland with a Nittany Lion statue to symbolize her achievement. Her players then gave her a sign with "300" on it surrounded with flowers. It brought back memories.

During her college years, she played in four national championship games for Immaculata College, winning three (1972-74).

"When we won the national championship, someone made a flower (arrangement) just like it that said we were No. 1; it had identical flowers and ribbon. When I saw that, I flashed back to the best times of my college life when we were No. 1 in the country. That's the goals we have for the Penn State team and these kids have the same kind of dreams. That's why we get along."

Also during her collegiate days, Portland was selected as one of the Outstanding College Athletes of America (1973-75). She was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1974, when she was still a player.

Portland is in her 10th season as head coach at Penn State. In that time she has captured A-10 Coach of the Year honors in 1983 and her teams have won the conference tournament four consecutive years (1983-86). Her winning percentage places her close to the top 10 among active coaches.

She also coached two years at St. Joseph's and two at Colorado.

"I'm sure it was incentive for them," West Virginia coach Scott Harrelson said. "I'm very proud; it's a great achievement. She's a great coach and has done a nice job with this team."

Prior to the game, the emotion of playing rival West Virginia was equal to the anticipation of helping Portland achieve her milestone. As the game wore on, the celebration began.

"I'm excited," Dana Eikenberg said. "As a player we don't realize how many games that is. I'm in awe and proud to be a member of her team.

"We were mentally prepared for the game -- we wanted it and she wanted it, we were very hungry. There's nothing nicer than when our team wins, the coach gets something. The rest of the year will be a 300th win for her and it's going to be really something."