When the women's basketball team returned from Anchorage, Alaska on Monday, they came back with more than just a golden plate that signified winning the Northern Lights Invitational.

Part of Coach Rene Portland's philosophy this season has been "See America First" and the Alaska trip may have been the epitome of the cross-country escapades of the ninth-ranked Lady Lions.

Senior Susan Robinson was particularly excited about the journey and said that she will bring back a lot of memories.

"It's been great," she said. "We rode in a dog sled, we saw the start of the Iditarod. This is something that I'll probably never see again."

Along with the canine activities, the team also went on a tour of the glaciers and saw an ice sculpture exhibit. However, this almost didn't happen. Snow hit the Anchorage area and the Lady Lions (22-6) had a white Leap Year.

Robinson, who hails from Center Point W.Va., gave the following weather report while she was in Alaska.

"It's been snowing for three days -- I mean, there's a lot of snow," Robinson said.

There was another experience the Lady Lions won't soon forget.

When the host school, the University of Alaska-Anchorage, only provided one hour of practice time for each of the seven other teams, the Lady Lions scrambled for a place to get in some more practice time.

Rescuing the team was one of the 100 or so Penn State alumni that reside in Anchorage. This particular alum was able to secure time for a gym at a local Air Force base as the Lady Lions were able squeeze in an extra hour.

Overall Portland was pleased about the trip but was concerned that the disractions would affect their play. After getting off to a slow start against Cal State-Sacramento, she made this the focus of her halftime speech.

"...I know I'm dealing with 18 to 22-year old kids sometimes and (Friday) they reminded me of that," Portland said.

But Portland just as quickly stated how the tournament couldn't have ended any sooner. Before the championship game she explained how the whole trip can wear people down.

"It's been fun but I think we've seen enough," the coach said. "We're ready to get on a plane and go home."