Even with tonight's game, the eyes of the team, coaches, and all those who follow the program, cannot help but be focused on the brutal stretch of games that Lady Lions will face in the next two weeks.
Penn State tips off its regular season Sunday against No. 3 Texas in the State Farm Classic, which will be broadcast live on ESPN2.
The Lady Lions then stay on the road for games against No. 6 Duke and a strong Villanova squad who is not ranked but received votes in the USA Today/ESPN/WBCA Pre-season poll.
Penn State coach Rene Portland said that the schedule will be a challenge for her team, but one she believes her team is up to nonetheless.
"I think that allows our players to see how much respect I have for their talent. I wouldn't set ourselves up for things we can't do," Portland said. "We have been successful in that arena, playing that kind of schedule, so it would be an insult to take this program any place else."
Whether the team finishes this stretch 3-0, 0-3, or somewhere in between, the college basketball season is a long haul and Penn State will need solid contributions from its younger players throughout the year.
That makes tonight's game an important step for the freshman class which will be playing its first game in the Jordan Center.
Both the coaches and returning players have praised the freshman in the preseason and senior Tanisha Wright said that they will only improve with experience.
"The freshman are good, there is a lot of things they need to learn as far as basketball wise, but they bring some athleticism to this team and they do some nice things," Wright said.
