Fourteen roadtrips, 22 victories and thousands of miles later, the women's basketball team is finally down to the last regular-season game as an independent.

Appropriately, the Lady Lions will end the schedule the same way they began it -- on the road. Penn State travels to the Midwest for a game at Michigan.

But as hectic as the travel has been, Coach Rene Portland can't help but be pleased with the road ventures she put together this season. However, she won't have a lot of say about the team's post-season road ventures.

After ninth-ranked Penn State's trip to Crisler Arena on Sunday, it will be up to the NCAA Selection Committee to determine the team's travel itinerary.

As a team without a conference, the Lady Lions could end up in any one of the four NCAA regional brackets. At one time or another, Portland has heard that her team will head for Charlottesville, Va. in the East bracket, West Lafayette, Ind. in the West bracket and Boulder, Colo., in the Midwest bracket.

Although Penn State (22-6) is geographically east, it is officially classified as a Midwest team. So what's it going to be on March 15, when the NCAA issues the Lady Lions their invitation for the field of 48? Don't ask Portland.

"I've never been a person -- like any other coach -- that wants to think that you know what the NCAA is thinking . . . because you don't," she said. "I don't understand a lot of their rules, so how could I ever understand their seeding.

"We will just sit back and see what happens. We just know that we took care of ourselves coming down the stretch here."

Indeed, when the NCAA looks at the Lady Lions' case, it can't help but be impressed with the team's 15 wins in its last 17 games -- including a seven-game win streak entering Sunday's game.

Although Portland wouldn't exactly mind being an East seed (for the added fan support, of course), the coach said she would be just as happy in Boulder as she would in Charlottesville. Ditto, say the players.

"Wherever we go, we're going to be happy to go," forward Kim Lazor said.

But before Penn State goes anywhere, there is the matter of that one remaining regular-season game against the Wolverines. Portland insists the team is not looking past it -- but that can't be easy.

Michigan enters its game with Michigan State tonight holding a 7-17 overall record and a dismal 3-12 record in the Big Ten. Opponents have outscored the Wolverines by an average of almost 10 points.

"We're not overlooking Michigan at all," Portland said, "especially since it's at Michigan and since we really don't know what this trip will do to our bodies until we get on the floor and play again. But at the same time, Purdue still has three games left and Iowa still has four games left. For the first time, we're seeing a little light here."