It is all about defending the Bryce Jordan Center.

The No. 12 Penn State women's basketball team (20-5, 10-1 Big Ten) will play No. 9 Purdue (19-3, 8-2) tonight at 7 at the Jordan Center in what will be a showdown of the Big Ten's top two teams.

The Lady Lions are currently alone in first place in the conference with the Boilermakers right behind in second.

"Every game is big here, because we want to keep the BJC ours," Penn State women's basketball coach Rene Portland said. "The players carry the BJC statues around with them. [The game] has ramifications on the league, ramifications on our season and ramifications on our RPI."

In the last meeting between the two teams, Purdue won 73-66 in West Lafayette, Ind. Now the Lions are on their home court.

"We're really fired up," sophomore Ashli Schwab said. "It's all we've been talking about this past week."

An element of revenge sits with Penn State this time around, which also will have the services of center Ashli Schwab returned tonight in a limited capacity. Schwab, who is coming off a stress fracture in her right leg, has been cleared to play a handful of minutes by the team physician, and will likely see action on the court tonight. Although Schwab said she is grateful for being cleared, it is frustrating not being able to play an entire game, especially such a big game against Purdue.

"It drives me crazy, but I guess you have to listen to [the team physicians]," Schwab said. "I just feel great. When I'm there, I don't feel a thing. I feel normal."

She also said she did not expect to make the recovery so quickly, but again credited the training staff and physicians. Her return will add a much-needed presence in the post. Her main job tonight is to shut down Purdue center Mary Jo Noon, who had 18 points and 10 rebounds the last time the teams met.

"The biggest thing is trying to move [Noon], even if you have good position," Schwab said. "Sometimes I would try to box out, but I wasn't moving her back. The thing I have to really focus on is getting into position and moving her back."

In addition to Noon, the Lions will have their hands full with junior forward Shereka Wright, although the preseason all-conference selection will not be at full strength because she is playing with a broken bone in her hand.

One goal for Penn State is to keep Wright off the foul line. In the last meeting between the Lions and the Boilermakers, Wright went to the foul line 18 times, hitting 16, to cap off the night with 24 points. Of the 309 points she has this season, 144 of them have come from the charity stripe.

"It seems like the more the weeks go the bigger they get," Purdue women's basketball coach Kristy Curry said. "I think we approach this game the same. We haven't been as good as a road team. This is what players play for. This is a big game, there's no way to ignore this."

Purdue's only losses this season have come on the road, while Penn State remains undefeated at home.