While Penn State fans celebrated the program's most storied road win in school history Saturday night, students in Champaign were in complete shock.

Illinois junior Nicole Alexander was one of them.

"We were watching it, and we were getting ready to go out, so we stopped paying attention," Alexander said. "And then they were down by 10 and then four -- it was pretty intense.

"We had no idea this could happen. Illinois doesn't lose."

Back at University Park, there was a somewhat similar mindset: Penn State wasn't supposed to win.

Even a few hardcore Nittwits, members of the Penn State men's basketball fan club, didn't show up at Damon's Restaurant to watch with the group. Nittwit president Jennifer Owsiany said a friend or two didn't come because they expected a blowout.

But Owsiany said her faith never wavered -- and it paid off at the end, when the Lions won two-and-a-half minutes after they thought they lost.

"We were jumping up and down, moving the chairs all around, screaming," Owsiany said. "This was better than the Ohio State [football] win."

Owsiany's friend, Amy Armstrong, echoed that sentiment.

"It was chaos, everyone was going nuts," she said. "People we didn't even know were giving us hugs."

When the final Rich McBride basket changed the scoreboard to "Illinois 68, Penn State 66," Illinois students ran out on Alexander's block yelling after apparently pulling out a close victory.

Needless to say, the feeling was short-lived.

"It was just a low," Alexander said.

"This is a huge disappointment -- we thought we'd run over Penn State, and judging by the first half, it looked pretty good."

Fans back at U-Park may have turned their TVs off at halftime. Who could blame them? The Lions were down 14. Perennial cellar dwellers aren't supposed to rally from 16 points to defeat the sixth-best team in the nation.

"I think everyone hates the officials, though," Alexander said. "I don't think anyone hates Penn State."

When told the replay was conclusive and asked why the blame would still be placed on the referees, Alexander hesitated.

"It doesn't matter," she said half-jokingly. "Inconsequential. Irrelevant."

Owsiany was a bit perturbed at the explanation.

"She's in denial. She goes to Illinois. She doesn't pay attention to Nittany Lion basketball -- she doesn't understand how great our team is playing," Owsiany said.

While the Illinois student section, nicknamed the Orange Krush, trudged back to its dorms with heads held low and tears in its eyes, Penn State was welcomed at the airport by roughly 25 fans.

Some Nittwits started playing "Zombie Nation," when players walked off the plane. According to Armstrong, everyone started jumping -- including the players. And when Ed DeChellis' team arrived at the Bryce Jordan Center, the Lions were smothered with hugs and kisses from the adoring fans who followed them from the airport.

Fan or player, student or alumnus -- it was certainly an unforgettable night and will undoubtedly go down in the annals of Penn State basketball history as one of the greatest comebacks of all-time.