One chance to get some momentum, then one shot at a miracle.

The Penn State basketball team is down to one last regular season game tomorrow at 12:17 p.m. against Purdue at Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, Ind., before the start of the Big Ten tournament Thursday at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

The Nittany Lions (7-19, 3-12 Big Ten) can move out of the conference cellar with a win against the Boilermakers (4-17, 4-11), who they defeated 81-68 at the Bryce Jordan Center Feb. 6. That would give them a No. 10 seed and would match them up against Northwestern (16-11, 7-8), assured of the No. 7 seed in the tournament. Should they lose, they will face the No. 6 seed, which would be either Michigan State (18-10, 9-6) or Minnesota (16-10, 9-6).

With the Big Ten tournament champion receiving an automatic bid for the NCAA tournament, the postseason is not a complete impossibility for the Lions, but it's close. Iowa, last season's No. 6 seed, is the lowest seed in the four years of the Big Ten tournament to win the title.

The Lions can see a glimmer of hope in the story of Illinois' 1999 squad that made it to the conference finals despite a No. 11 seed. However, according to Penn State men's basketball coach Jerry Dunn any strong performance at the tournament would help the Lions next season with four starters returning.

"Anytime whether you have a veteran team or a young team and you get some wins in the Big Ten tournament it certainly helps your momentum going into the following year," he said.

There could be another small pride factor involved in Saturday's game and the tournament. The Nittany Lions will be trying to avoid matching their lowest win total since former coach Bruce Parkhill's first year in the program. The Lions were 7-20 (2-16) in the Big Ten in 1992-93, and 5-22 (3-15 Atlantic 10) in 1983-84 when Parkhill took over for former coach Dick Harter. They also have yet to win a road game this season.

The Boilermakers have also struggled this season with defensive problems. By allowing a conference high 71.4 points per game, they forced themselves into a position of having to win the tournament to avoid just their second season out of postseason play in coach Gene Keady's 22 years as head coach, and the first since 1989.

"For Penn State and Purdue both we'd like to end our season on a good note," Keady said. "For the seniors it would be a nice way to go into the Big Ten tournament, because that's the only way we're going to be able to save any type of season with a positive twist to it."

Saturday's game will also affect their seeding. The Boilermakers are just one game behind Michigan (10-16, 5-10) and Iowa (16-13, 5-10) for eighth place in the conference.

The Wolverines have Ohio State (19-7,10-5) Saturday, and the Hawkeyes play Michigan State, (18-10, 9-6). Should both lose, Purdue has the advantage with a 2-1 record against the two teams.

The Boilermakers boast the league's leading scorer in senior guard Willie Deane, who averages 17.4 points per game.

Purdue leads the all-time series, 11-7, but the Lions have won three of the last four.