"We would be foolish not to look ahead and prepare for Minnesota," Lady Lions coach Rene Portland said earlier in the week, "but I think we'll do a good job ... really focusing on Northwestern, and hopefully we'll be able to get some playing time for some people."
If it sounds as though Portland is looking ahead to Penn State's weekend match-up with Minnesota's Lady Shaq, she is. But at the same time she has made sure that the Lady Lions do not write off a Wildcat team that has struggled to a 1-6 record in the Big Ten and is 4-16 overall.
"We just need to go out and do our thing," Portland said. "We haven't played well at Northwestern in the past."
Penn State returned to the national rankings this week after its back-to-back wins over highly ranked Purdue and Michigan State, but the Lions have yet to win a game while ranked this season. They hope to change that tonight.
In a way, tonight's game bears many similarities with Penn State's road game against Indiana on Jan. 16.
Like that game, the Lady Lions are highly favored tonight after picking up nationally significant wins in the previous week -- and, also like their trip to Indiana, the Lions will play tonight's game in a subdued atmosphere not at all like the raucous Jordan Center.
Penn State could learn something from its lackluster performance in the Indiana game.
Even though they ended up winning comfortably, the Lady Lions played a largely lethargic first half and led by only one point at the break.
"We can't get down like that early in the first five minutes of the game because some days you are not going to be able to dig yourself out of that hole," Portland said.
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