Ghosts, regardless of what form they take, all share a common purpose -- they haunt.

The women's basketball team is not immune to the effects of poltergeists. The Lady Lions' ghosts linger from 11 months ago. Clad in gold and black, one nearly 7-feet tall, they're all vivid in Penn State's collective mind.

When the No. 1 Lady Lions (14-0) walk into cavernous Memorial Gym at 7 p.m. today in Nashville, Tenn., for a showdown with No. 9 Vanderbilt (14-3), the ghosts will likely be there.

It was last February when the Commodores came into the Lady Lions' den with a No. 2 ranking and super-hyped center Heidi Gillingham. Pride, rankings and a big "W" all hung in the balance, and Penn State had the game in its hands. But then . . .

"The last three minutes of that game wear on you," Coach Rene Portland said. "We were beating them, and then the last three minutes, we folded."

Folded like a broke gambler with nothing but a pair of fours. Penn State was outscored 15-4 in the final 4 minutes, 55 seconds of the game. The Lady Lions' 0-for-12 shooting from the floor during that stretch guaranteed the result. Helpless against a stifling zone, unable to make even the easy shots, Penn State lost 66-57.

This year, roles are reversed. The Lady Lions come in as the higher ranked team, looking to steal a non-conference win on the road. Looking to extend their best start ever and stay atop the polls. Looking to cleanse their memories of last year.

Despite all the implications surrounding the matchup, Vandy Coach Jim Foster is approaching the game as if it were just one more on the road to the postseason.

"Having been No. 1 this year (in the preseason polls), we've learned to ignore the rankings," Foster said. "The only thing that will test any team is the NCAA tournament. Anything that happens in the regular season is sort of a lead up to that."

The Commodores boast an array of weapons, but none attract more attention than 6-foot-10 senior center Gillingham. Though her numbers aren't quite as impressive as her dimensions -- she's averaging 16.8 points, 7.4 rebounds and 3 blocks per game -- her mere presence in the paint is a key part of Vandy's game plan.

Portland is well aware of what Foster's Goliath can do, having witnessed the 16-point, 13-board performance Gillingham put together in Rec Hall last year. But the Lady Lion coach knows she'll have her hands full with the other four players on the court.

"They can go big, they can go medium, they can go small," Portland said. "They can zone pressure you, and anybody who saw us against Purdue is going to say, 'Hey, the zone kills you.' "

While busting Vandy's zone may be the challenge dujour for Penn State, there's much more on the line. For a team whose top priority is winning the Big Ten title, this isn't a "must-win" game. But anything less than a victory will be a disappointment. The ghosts won't let them forget.

"They understand the last Vanderbilt game," Portland said of her players. "Most of these kids were involved in it. Last year we had the game under control. And the people that made the mistakes are still here, so they can vindicate themselves."