Forget suspense. Forget drama. There was little doubt about what would happen yesterday afternoon at the Bryce Jordan Center.

Little doubt that the Lady Lions would beat Illinois, a team coming of off three straight defeats after losing the versatile Aminata Yanni for the season with an ACL tear.

Even less doubt that Kelly Mazzante -- the somewhat quiet superstar with a quick release -- would get her 2,579th point and break the Big Ten career scoring record which was, until yesterday, held by Ohio State's Katie Smith.

With the two-time All-American needing only nine points, this game was never about if Mazzante would break the record. In fact, this game was never anything but a celebration. A celebration of a career that brought the exposure of women's college basketball in Pennsylvania to heights it had never seen before.

And it seems like Mazzante's marriage with star-status was one betrothed from the beginning. It's as if all the elements were aligned perfectly for her to shine, to stand apart, to be adored. The way she has fit perfectly into her time, place and situation has elevated her.

She's come to Penn State during a time when the school's other prominent sports, football and men's basketball, have seen more struggles than victories. During these tough times for the Blue and White faithful, Mazzante and her Lady Lions have given people something to cheer for.

And who better to cheer for than Mazzante.

A homegrown Pa. kid who was raised only an hour east of State College in Montoursville, where her parents realized she was something special long before the rest of world when the lanky kid started beating her older brother's friends at one-on-one in the driveway.

A girl who says the right things. Down-plays her performance, talks about the team, the goals, the drive toward a championship. Never the records, which she now has plenty of.

A woman who plays with strength and intensity, yet under the surface, away from the court, seems to have an aura that gravitates fans toward her.

Oh, yeah, and she scores points. A lot of points.

All this has made her exactly what this town was looking for. And Mazzante treats her local fame much like she does a long jumper: she doesn't shy away from it.

Reportedly humble when recognized and gracious when asked for an autograph, she has had to deal with being the most visible female athlete at Penn State.

"I think she's had the most demands on her time as any player I've coached," said Penn State women's basketball coach Rene Portland, who has coached the Lions for the past 24 years. "She's handled it all with such grace."

Portland admits that a lot of Mazzante's notoriety is about the build up of a four-year career that has seen her the focal point of the team since her freshman year.

Portland didn't have to look too long at Mazzante's steely resolve and sweet-stroke to know the then-freshman would be the identity of her team for the next four years.

"I knew I would be stupid if I didn't base 80 percent of my offense through her," Portland said.

By the time Mazzante was leading the Big Ten in scoring as a freshman, there was no stopping the demands -- or the adulation.

"We love you, Kelly," one male student yelled yesterday to Mazzante as she was warming up before the game.

The star could only smile.

And during yesterday's game, she seemed to let emotion crack through her normally serious countenance a little more often.

Go ahead. Smile, Kelly. You should be happy.

You'll go down in history as the greatest scorer to play Big Ten basketball.

There's no doubt about that.