Rene Portland has never been so glad to leave Rec Hall.

The coach of the women's basektball team loves playing in the old gym, and she was as happy as anyone to host first- and second-round NCAA Tournament games there. But Penn State's dreams of a Final Four go through Austin, Texas, home of the Midwest Regional Championships, so it's time to go.

At 7:00 p.m. today, the top-seeded Lady Lions hope to continue the dream when they face off with fourth-seeded Seton Hall at the University of Texas' Erwin Center. The game will be televised by the Pennsylvania Cable Network (Ch. 28).

"We're thrilled to be getting on the plane to go at this next step," Portland said at a press conference Monday.

Waiting at that next step is a dangerous team from Seton Hall. The Pirates, whose 27-4 record earned them runner-up status behind Connecticut in the Big East and an at-large bid to the tourney, knocked off Texas in the second round to advance to Austin and the Sweet 16. Coach Phyllis Mangina's squad is making it's first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance, but that lack of postseason experience didn't keep Portland from being concerned.

"They play a real nice 2-3 zone, they force you to play outside, and if you're not hitting, you're in trouble," Portland said of the Pirates. "We need to run against them, we need to work on our pressure, and we need to exploit the post game we've got going now."

Whatever hopes Seton Hall has of upsetting the Lady Lions rest squarely on the shoulders of first-team All-Big East selection Jodi Brooks. The senior guard, who fills time at both the point- and the two-guard position, paced the Pirates with 18.6 points and 4.6 assists per game. In Seton Hall's second-round defeat of the Longhorns, Brooks never left the game.

"She's their floor leader," Portland said. "She can hit the three whenever she wants, and she can play many roles. We're just going to have to communicate very well on defense."

For tourney veteran Penn State, getting to the Sweet 16 didn't prove too much trouble. Getting past it, however, has been nearly impossible. In five regional semifinals, Portland teams are 1-4, with the only Lady Lion win coming in 1983 when the tournament was limited to 36 teams.

Portland said the key for the Lady Lions is simply to stay loose.

"The only thing that I'm on right now is the enthusiasm that we need and obviously have at this stage of the game," Portland said. "We want them to enjoy themselves. That's a big part of it."