While Michigan State may have revenge on the mind tonight, it will also have one of its top players back in action.

The unranked Spartans (8-13, 2-8 Big Ten) will play host to No. 16 Penn State (16-6, 8-3) at 7 p.m. at the Breslin Center trying to avenge a lopsided loss to the Lady Lions two weeks ago in University Park.

However, there will be two important differences this time. First, Penn State will be playing on the road, where the Lions are only 3-3 in the conference this season. In addition, the Spartans will likely have senior forward Becky Cummings back in action for the third consecutive game.

Cummings was leading the team in scoring when she suffered a foot injury last month. She saw 30 minutes of play in her return last Thursday against Iowa, but just 10 minutes Sunday at Wisconsin.

Penn State women's basketball coach Rene Portland said the re-addition of Cummings to the lineup should be a factor, but that the two squads know each other fairly well due to the quick turnaround in the home-away series.

"They obviously know our game plan and what we want to do," Portland said.

In the Super Bowl Sunday game at The Bryce Jordan Center, Penn State ran away with the game early, displaying a potent open-court game that did not enable Michigan State to set up their patented zone defense.

Freshman Kelly Mazzante led five Lions in double figures with 28 points, while junior Katrena Carr added 12 points and a career-best eight assists.

The Spartans are hoping to breathe some life into what has been an exhausting season thus far. It doesn't get any easier for Michigan State women's basketball coach Joanne McCallie and her Spartans, who have lost each of their last seven contests and are in the middle of a difficult three-game stretch against Wisconsin, Penn State and Indiana.

"We've picked a real bad time not to be as strong," Michigan State women's basketball coach Joanne McCallie said. "Sometimes you have to get a little thicker before you get better."

Michigan State could draw encouragement from Penn State's performance this past Sunday at Northwestern. The Lions once again displayed a tendency to be lethargic on the road, and barely escaped with a three-point win. Portland doesn't want another close game.

"We have to get our game running and not give them the opportunity to set up the zone," she said.