Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse, 1976, was the beginning.

On Dec. 9 of that year, in that gym, Penn State women's basketball coach Rene Portland served her first ever game as a head coach, taking over the reins of the St. Joseph's women's basketball program.

Now, 27 years, two coaching jobs and a broken leg later, she will take her No. 5 Lady Lions (15-3, Big Ten 8-0) back to that same fieldhouse in Philadelphia to square off against the St. Joseph's Hawks (11-5, 6-1 Atlantic-10) at 7 tonight.

"We talk about history, and [the players] are going to see the place that I decided to be a coach in," Portland said. "Only then, I did it two hours a day and it was a lot easier than it is now, but I enjoyed every minute."

Though there is much anticipation for this homecoming of sorts, as evidenced by the more than 70 requests made to Portland for tickets to the game, the coach is certain to never take her eye off the ball.

Her team is the one with far more to lose, namely its brand-new top-five ranking.

Instead of using the day off built into the Big Ten schedule to rest, Portland decided to use tonight's game to keep her team on schedule and not lose the momentum from its eight-game winning streak. But the game they have chosen to keep them in the swing of things will be unlike any conference game they have experienced, as Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse holds just 3,200 fans.

"It's going to be unique," Portland said. "Our players have never been in that kind of facility. St. Joe's is one of the few facilities that still has baskets hanging from the ceiling; the lighting is a little shady. They're going to have to think what it's like when they go to volleyball games [in Rec Hall]."

Despite the step down in facility, Portland does not expect a step down in level of play.

In last year's meeting, an 82-56 Lions win at home, the Hawks were within five points at halftime. And as they return all five of last year's starters, St. Joseph's will head into the game with no fear.

"I don't look at it like [we are facing the No. 5 team in the country]," St. Joseph's women's basketball coach Cindy Griffin said. "It's another game and we're just going to do what we do and see what happens."

When asked how she would attempt to stop senior guard Kelly Mazzante, who has 2,642 career points, Griffin laughed.

"That's a good question; we haven't quite figured that out," she said. "Well, we'll just show her different looks."

Entering the Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse expecting a "dogfight" with a team that Portland believes is "a mismatch for us," the game itself will be foremost on her mind.

But the memories will be there in the gym, whether they are of the days spent strategizing for the Hawks or of the final preparations made in March of 2000, when the Lady Lions' only Final Four team was coincidentally assigned to the St. Joe's gym for tournament practices.

"There will be a lot of distractions, but they well be ones to make me smile," Portland said. "But we better win."