INDIANAPOLIS — It wasn't last year.

There was no first round exit. No last minute three-pointers to jump start spring break. That doesn't mean the Lady Lions (21-11, 13-6 Big Ten) were satisfied with a Big Ten tournament that saw them reach the finals only to fall to fifth-seeded Indiana (17-13, 11-8 Big Ten) 75-72 March 4 at the Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

"I'm very disappointed about tonight," coach Rene Portland said. "It was a defensive letdown on our part. Normally you score 72 points and you're in the ballgame."

The loss to Indiana ended what appeared to be a Penn State romp to the title. Earlier in the weekend the Lions stomped on seventh-seeded Ohio State 70-55 and sixth-seeded Wisconsin 76-62.

During those games, in which Penn State put on a fast-break clinic, guard Kelly Mazzante made a case for a recount in conference Player of the Year voting by totaling 54-points. In the victory over the Badgers, Mazzante also made seven-of-eight three-point attempts. Her backcourt partner Tanisha Wright continued to flourish, scoring 27 in the two contests. Both were named to the all-tournament team.

Mazzante, Wright and forward Rashana Barnes all had their numbers verses the Hoosiers, but the team possessed all the energy of week-old soda. The run-and-gun style of play that has marked the Lions' best performances all season was absent until final minutes as Penn State attempted to mount a comeback that never materialized.

Portland said poor defense prevented the Lions from establishing the flow that previously proved successful.

When the Lions did get a few stops in the waning minutes, the clock became their worst enemy. Down three with 4.2 seconds remaining, point guard Jess Strom brought the ball up court before just missing the fingertips of Wright who was cutting to the hoop for a lay-up. Afterwards, Portland said the freshman must have not realized the deficit required a three-pointer because both options had been discussed during the previous time out.

"I wouldn't put it on the kid," Portland said. "We should have never been in that situation. . .they played a better game than we did tonight and the better team for 40 minutes won."

While the locker room was quieter after the game and faces were a little longer than they had been earlier in the week, the team took solace in their youth, knowing that all but two of them would return before long.

"We had a lot of freshmen and sophomores out there so this is a learning experience," Mazzante said. "We're very excited to make it to the finals but we understand we need to take the extra step to win it, so we'll go home with that and come back with a different attitude and work a little harder next time."

Still, for some experience, or personal achievement, hold little value in comparison to a trophy.

"It would have been a lot better if we had just won," Wright said in reference to being named to the all-tournament team. "Really, it doesn't mean anything."