Penn State point guard Jess Strom stepped into the post-game press conference Sunday evening wearing an old school Lady Lions Basketball jacket.

"This jacket belonged to [Penn State women's basketball assistant coach] Annie Troyan when she played here in the 80s," Penn State women's basketball coach Rene Portland explained. "It's been hanging in Jess' locker as an incentive. If we won the game, she could wear it."

Proudly sporting the garment with an embroidered "Annie" on the right side as well as six buttons, one of which had an "I" next to a red heart above an orange basketball, Strom smiled. Perhaps it was because she knew she had certainly done her part in her team's 79-59 routing of Texas (7-1). The 5-7 junior simply played her heart out, providing the spark that allowed the women to take over the game, as well as further proving that she has reached a whole new level of basketball since last season.

As the No. 8 squad (5-1) is back in action for their second straight home game tonight at 7 against Baylor (6-0), Strom will once again have to deliver a convincing performance.

"Baylor is a very, very good team," Portland said. "They're receiving votes in the top 25; they have great post play. A good test for ... how strong this team really is will be [tonight]."

Already having proven just how strong she is in the first six games of the season, Strom will look to maintain this level of play against another team from Texas.

After an offseason of conditioning, Strom returned to Happy Valley this fall as a new and improved, "lean and mean" player. This has proved essential for a point guard who is pushed to stay on the court and direct the offense for nearly every minute of every game, with an average of over 37 minutes per game. She played all 40 against Texas.

"During the game, I was kind of tired," Strom said. "Then I looked over at the bench and Rene was like, 'You are not tired!' So I'm not tired."

Besides directing the offense, Strom has become more of an offensive threat herself in accumulating 14.2 points per game, compared with an average of 9.8 points per game last season. Against Texas, she was second in the team's scoring, with 19 points, including a perfect 11-for-11 from the free throw line.

"I've been looking for [my shots] since the beginning of the season," Strom said. "Last year I didn't really look to shoot as much, [but] I think when it's open I'll take it this year."

And the player who once struggled defensively has also found her niche here as well, recording seven steals against Texas and 34 thus far. In the Texas game, it was her steals late in the first half that woke up her team and led to its scoring run.

"She was like a little gnat fly," Portland said. "That really spurred things on. There was a steal off [Texas forward Tiffany] Jackson, where [Strom] came out of nowhere ... and stole the ball and the energy ... was picked off of that."

Just six games into the season, Strom's increased impact on the Lady Lions' quest to be the best is already quite apparent. Heading into tonight's game against Baylor, Troyan's jacket is sure to be nearby, reminding Strom of what this team can accomplish -- and just how crucial of a role she plays.