INDIANAPOLIS — Before departing Happy Valley, Lady Lions coach Rene

Portland claimed it didn't matter who her team played in its first game of the Big Ten tournament.

Well, know she knows. The Penn State women's basketball team, ranked 2nd in the conference, will take on Ohio State tonight at 6 in Conseco Fieldhouse.

The Buckeyes prevailed in the day's most exciting game, defeating Michigan State 85-82 in double overtime.

At her Tuesday press conference, Portland also mentioned how impressed she has been with the improved post play of forward Courtney Upshaw and center Jackie Shook. If Ohio State center Courtney Coleman has a performance like last night's, the pair better continue their above par defense.

Coleman led all scorers against the Spartans with 27, although she did shoot 7-14 from the free throw line, including missing an opportunity to end the game at the end of the first overtime. Not to be outdone, senior guard Lauren Shenk had a career-high 25 points including 6 three point field goals.

"It was very physical, you could tell both teams wanted to win," Buckeye forward D'wan Shackleford said."All I can say is thank God for Courtney Coleman and Lauren Shenk."

The obvious question for Ohio State is how well would the team be able to bounce back for tonight's game with the Lions, who will have had over a week of rest.

"I'm sure Penn State was saying, 'play triple overtime, quadruple overtime'," Ohio State coach Beth Burns said. "That's just part of tournament play and you need to win games like this in order to be a champion."

The Wolverines looked like the preseason conference favorite they were yesterday in a thorough 83-63 trouncing of an Illinois team that appeared to leave its outside shooting in Champaign.

Forward Jennifer Smith, who scored a game-high 24, led Michigan, while guard Alayne Ingram scored 17, and center LeeAnn Bies came on strong in the second half where she had 12 of her 14 points.

The fighting Illini's only legitimate scoring threat, Iveta Marcauskai, scored 19 while hampered by foul trouble and a Michigan defense that challenged her teammates to beat it.

"I think we knew going into the game that it was going to be about defense and rebounding," Michigan coach Sue Guevara said. "I think we did a good job at both ends."

Michigan led through the first half but pulled away in the first five minutes of the second half when it went on a 12-0 run fueled by the return of Bies, who only played seven first half minutes.

The Wolverines had better keep it up if they want to advance beyond today's showdown with top-ranked Purdue.

After a dismal end to the regular season that saw Wisconsin lose nine of its last 11 games after being raked as in the top 10 nationally, the Badger kept any NCAA tournament hopes alive with their 60-58 victory against Northwestern.

The Badgers were led by guard Tamara Moore, who scored 17 in a sloppily played ball game.