Something has happened to the Penn State women's basketball team and if you are a Lady Lions' fan, it has to be exciting.

It's time, it's time to follow the Lady Lions to the promised land.

Hardwood Harmony.

All of those posters at the Student Book Store, those promos shown at late season football games and early season basketball games, they all espoused the theory of Hardwood Harmony. A young team with a few experienced performers that would need to come together under their conductor, Rene Portland, in order to have a successful season.

It may have taken half of the season, but the Lions are making some beautiful music on the court.

The season started with the goal of taking Penn State's five freshmen, five sophomores and two seniors and meshing them together into one unit. However, early on the team looked more like a solo artist accompanied by a few lackluster back-up singers.

The diva was sophomore Kelly Mazzante, who has topped the nation's charts in scoring average for most of the season. Flashes of brilliance came from players such as Rashana Barnes, Jess Strom and Jessica Brungo, but it seemed that no one wanted to stand with Mazzante at center stage. The lack of cohesion showed in their 12-8 record.

Then it happened.

The Lions put on one of their finest team performances of the season against the then No. 5 Wisconsin Badgers. It was the energy and leadership that Barnes brought to the game that seemed to help the team sing together with one voice. She was constantly pumping her fist and firing up her team.

Her emotion was contagious and all the Lions have been playing with an extra step. Everyone has the right pitch and tone and is contributing to the beautiful sound of wins.

Along with Barnes' leadership and Mazzante's scoring, the melodic sound has recently included the crisp passing and three-point shooting of Strom and the hard-nosed defense and breathtaking moves of Tanisha Wright. Contributions from others have also sweetened the sound.

Sunday's game was a prime example of how Portland's choir of players have been wowing the crowd of late.

With Penn State down 56-64 the Lions needed someone to step up and show the way to a comeback. That's when the dominating voice of Barnes resonated throughout The Bryce Jordan Center. The forward put the senior in senior day when she infused life into the Lions by swatting Illinois center Iveta Marcauskaite twice on the same possession.

That play both stopped Marcauskaite from continuing to run rampant over the Lions, and changed the tempo of the game. The crowd rose to its feet, and the other players started to add to what Barnes had started.

Mazzante stepped into the spotlight to make some key steals and layups, Wright supported her on a few shots when she could have taken them herself and 5-foot-7 Strom came up with some huge rebounds.

Katrena Carr contributed some key minutes. It only made sense that the senior guard who created the Hardwood Harmony video would play well on senior day.

When Penn Sate was down early and they were making some turnovers, Carr came in and settled down the team.

Anyone who was in any chorus or choir ensemble knows that in order to keep knocking over the audience with a stellar show you must concentrate on those all-important harmonies in practice.

As long as the Lions continue to concentrate on the modo that has brought them this far they should finish with a result that they can be proud of.

It is very possible that this season could crescendo at a Big Ten championship.