It's hard enough to face the No. 2 team in the country in your first game of the season on their home hardwood, and lose by 15 points. It's even harder, then, to have to go on the road again and play in the most infamous arena in all of collegiate sports against another top-ten team.

This is the task at hand for the No. 23 Penn State women's basketball team tonight in Cameron Indoor Stadium against No. 6 Duke (2-1).

The Lady Lions (0-1) will have to figure out a way to deal with both a very talented Blue Devils team on the floor, and the very ravenous Cameron Indoor fans in the stands.

The Lady Lions 84-69 opening game loss to Texas was hard to swallow, especially with senior guard Tanisha Wright's career-high 30-point night.

"Tanisha and Jess [Strom] gave it all they had but it wasn't enough," senior forward Hazel Joseph said. "They need other people to come step-up and score."

Strom did put up 18 points, but she and Wright were the only Lady Lions in double-digits scoring -- the Longhorns had five. Joseph was scoreless, and fellow post-players Amanda Brown and Ashli Schwab combined for only 7 points, thanks in part to foul trouble.

The Lady Lions talked at length about improving their play on the defensive end and on the glass.

"We were out rebounded by nine," Joseph said. "The biggest focus is for the post to contribute a little bit more.

"The big thing about it is we need post-defense. I think the coaches understand that, and they've been working all week to correct that so that, that same thing doesn't happen again this week."

The Blue Devils are trying to bounce back from a loss of their own on Wednesday to No. 10 Notre Dame, in South Bend, Ind.

Penn State has never been able to master Duke in the two previous match-ups between the two teams, a fact the Cameron Crazies will certainly be inclined to heckle over.

"I think we're just going to play," Joseph said. "We're not going to let their fans disturb us. It doesn't really matter where you play at, it's the same thing no matter where you're at. We need to win, I think our team understands that and we're prepared for that."

Duke's original starting point guard Lindsey Harding was recently suspended indefinitely, leaving back-up Wanisha Smith, a freshman, with the duty of running the offense.

Smith did put up 20 points in the Blue Devils' win over South Florida, proving the Blue Devils haven't skipped a beat since losing Harding.

"She is out, but they also have a Nike All-American [Smith] that did step in," Strom said. "It's a top-ten program. They're going to have the players."

Penn State women's basketball coach Rene Portland, hospitalized last Sunday after reported fainting spells and released earlier this week, was set to join the team in Durham for tonight's game.

Also returning is freshman guard Amber Bland who sat out the Lions exhibition against the Netherlands National Team and the opening game against Texas with mononucleosis.

"It's my first game," Bland said. "I got a look at that uniform, and I'm excited."