There is an old Starter commercial that features recording artist Queen Latifah singing the letters U-N-I-T-Y while showing scenes of team togetherness. If the company wanted to make a new version of the ad, they could use several clips from Sunday's Penn State women's basketball game.

The Lady Lions played their best game of the season thus far, defeating Big Ten preseason favorite Michigan 78-65 at The Bryce Jordan Center. It was the way the team came together as a unit that enabled it to pull away from the Wolverines.

The most memorable moment of team togetherness may have come right after the greatest individual feat of the game. With 13:16 remaining in the second half, sophomore guard Kelly Mazzante scored on a lay-up to surpass the 1,000-point plateau in her 47th career game, a Big Ten record.

The telling scene occurred after the basket when play was stopped and the entire Lady Lion squad surrounded and congratulated Mazzante.

It was also telling that Mazzante made a point of thanking fellow captain Rashana Barnes for the backdoor pass that allowed her to get the record.

Barnes also helped the Lions out by having one of her best overall performances of the season. She scored 15 points and had four assists while pulling down three rebounds. Barnes looked as though she had extra energy in her ailing knees on Sunday. She said the added step was from the combination of her feeling better physically and being motivated to beat the Wolverines.

"Both played a factor," Barnes said. "I had my two days off and the fact that Michigan was coming in made them feel that much better."

Having the Wolverines come into Happy Valley was motivational to the Lions because Penn State lost all three contests with Michigan last season. Veteran players like Barnes helped the younger players understand how important it was to go out and do their best as a team against the Wolverines.

"They definitely made it clear," freshman guard Tanisha Wright said. "I used to make fun of them by saying that they lost to Michigan. This season they told us that we need to beat Michigan."

Wright was one of the young Lions that took that team oriented motivation to heart. The West Mifflin native was a presence on offense, scoring a career-high 17 points. She also displayed great hustle on many plays, such as when she made a jumping behind-the-back pass to Mazzante on a ball that was going out of bounds.

Wright's freshman guard counterpart Jess Strom also showed team play that is rarely seen from such a young player. Strom gave up her body by taking a charge late in the game and led the team with seven assists. Penn State women's basketball coach Rene Portland has been impressed with Strom's play this season, especially her increased stamina and low turnover rate.

"She is really doing well for us," Portland said. "She's dropped some weight and been in the weight room. A lot of it is intelligence and knowing her timing."

The team has also shown a great sense of timing by finding U-N-I-T-Y with almost half of its season remaining.