The basketball game against Ohio State on Dec. 28 was like a replay of the Vanderbilt game one month earlier for Lady Lion guard Katina Mack.

For the second time this year, a blow to the head sent the senior to the hospital with a concussion. And this one will probably end her season, Coach Rene Portland said yesterday.

"We've applied for a redshirt, so we're waiting to hear on that," Portland said.

The second concussion came on a night which saw Mack return to action for the first time since sustaining the initial concussion during the Lady Lions' 86-65 win over Vanderbilt.

Mack, who checked into the game at 16:39, left with about eight minutes remaining after taking an elbow to the jaw from Buckeye forward Katie Smith. She was taken to the hospital, where she stayed overnight before flying back to State College.

Only two days earlier, Mack had been cleared to participate in full-contact practices. She had been sidelined by a concussion sustained when she collided with teammate Missy Masley during the Nov. 29 Vanderbilt game.

That incident caused Mack to lose consciousness and resulted in a facial contusion. She was taken to Centre Community Hospital and released the following evening.

Now, almost two weeks after re-aggravating the concussion, Mack said she is feeling fine physically. Mentally, she has also accepted the possibility of her season coming to an end.

She said the coaches talked with her about taking a medical redshirt, so the decision to apply for one did not come as a shock.

"Considering everything, it's the best route to go," Mack said. "If I were hit again, I'd be out anyway."

Losing Mack will mean the Lady Lions must continue without their leading returning scorer. It also comes following a 71-56 loss on the road at Minnesota. It was a defeat hampered by injuries for the entire team, making the loss of Mack all the more detrimental.

And while Portland is confident sophomore Tiffany Longworth can fill in for Mack, the coach said the team will feel Mack's absence.

"We've lost some of our speed and our offensive power," Portland said. "It changes the face of our team."

If Mack does receive the redshirt, she said she will continue to be the "inspiration on the bench." It is a position she has become accustomed to throughout her career.

Since her freshman year, Mack has had to battle back from numerous injuries -- kidney stones in 1991, an Achilles tendon and a stress fracture in her feet during the 1992-93 season and several injuries last year, including a groin pull that kept her from starting one game.

Throughout all of her troubles, Mack has refused to succumb to the disappointment that accompanies such injuries, and she said she won't begin to now.

"I'm keeping my spirits up," she said. "Redshirting can be a positive thing. It will give me a chance to rest up and work on different aspects of my game. You can learn a lot from the bench."