"It's our first game so we're going to test where we're at," senior guard Kelly Mazzante said.
"It's a chance for the upperclassmen to show what we've worked on and how we've gotten better; it's a chance for the team to show that we are a good basketball team and deserve to be in the top 10."
The Travelers will be a far cry from the non-conference competition that the women will face starting Nov. 21 with LSU, but the game will give the players an opportunity to play with referees, with the clock, with the rules, and in the Jordan Center -- before they have to lay it all out on the table.
"We still have a few weeks before we show the fans everything," Penn State women's basketball coach Rene Portland said.
"This is more for the players to get ready."
In addition, four freshmen will make their debut in blue and white, showcasing their talents for the first time.
Heading into the season, one of the big question marks is the ability of the Lions to develop their post play, an area that haunted the women last year. Three of the freshmen were recruited to help aid with the post play, but have yet to develop enough to make a significant impact. And with junior center Ashli Schwab out for the game due to a knee injury she sustained 10 days ago, no answers will be revealed tonight.
"[The post play is] certainly not to the magnitude it needs to be," Portland said. "It will be more of the old stuff with four guards doing everything until we feel more comfortable on the inside. We did win a Big Ten Championship with that."
For now, Big Ten Championships and NCAA tournament appearances are a long way off.
But with the expectations hovering over the squad, tonight they will be looking for a benchmark to assess their situation.
"When the lights go on, we'll get a better indication," Portland said. "I'm interested to see."
- By Jenny Vrentas
