Heading into Nashville, the Lady Lions were hoping to make sweet music Saturday.

Unfortunately, the Lions were never able to get in tune courtesy of Vanderbilt's defense and dominating center Chantelle Anderson.

As a result, the Penn State women's basketball team (9-6) was left scrounging for a music city miracle at the end of its 77-62 loss to No. 6 Vanderbilt (13-3) at Memorial Gym.

Anderson led the Commodores with 22 points, and forward Zuzi Klimesova doubled her season average by scoring 20 points, to join forward Ashely Earley and guard Jillian Danker in double figures.

The nation's leading scorer, guard Kelly Mazzante, led Penn State with 21 points while forward Rashana Barnes labored to a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds.

The Commodores were quickly in control, as Danker hit her first two three-point attempts and Klimesova scored 10 points in less than eight minutes, with Vanderbilt scoring from inside and out. Defensively, the Commodores' constricting defense designed to stop Mazzante gave the Lions fits, despite the maze of screens employed by Penn State.

Before the half, another 13-2 Vanderbilt run allowed the Commodores to create a 20 point cushion.

Coming out of the locker room, point guard Jess Strom, who finished with 11 points, showed Penn State was not dead, sinking a pair of three pointers and two free throws to spark a 10-2 Lion run. However, Vanderbilt soon regained composure and were comfortably ahead 60-40 with 12:33 remaining.

A final glint of hope showed for the Lions midway through the half, when Anderson was forced to sit after picking up her fourth personal foul and Mazzante hit a three-pointer the next trip down the floor. However, no threat ever materialized and the game was beyond Penn State's reach with 5:45 left when Barnes fouled out after a heart-filled performance on her always suspect knees.

The Lions now turn their attention to tonight's Big Ten matchup at Illinois, who are 2-1 in conference including a Dec. 28 victory against then twelfth ranked Michigan. Penn State also has not won at Assembly Hall since 1995.

The Fighting Illini have three players averaging double digits with forward Cindy Dallas nearly averaging a double-double.

Sitting 1-1 in the conference, coach Rene Portland stressed the importance of a solid performance, especially coming off a loss at home to Ohio State.

"It's really important because we have never been successful at Illinois," Portland said. "They really seem to play their best at home and against us."