If Penn State women's basketball coach Rene Portland is invited to the WNIT ball, she will not take a ride in a pumpkin chariot to dance with the prince.

"This is what the end of the season is about," Portland said. "Who has the most guts? Who can stay focused? Who can pull the upset? Who wants to be Cinderella?"

For Portland, playing the part of the Disney princess would not involve a WNIT appearance. She has no desire to keep her team going into the postseason against lesser opponents than her program is accustomed to playing during March.

Just three more games will close out the regular season for the Penn State women's basketball team (11-13, 5-8 Big Ten), but at 8 tonight at Wisconsin (9-16, 3-10), it still has some work around the house to put in.

"It's not because I don't like 'em. It's not because I don't want to do it," Portland said of a possible berth in the WNIT. "I just don't think it would be beneficial for this team."

What would be beneficial to this team is to sweep the floor with the Badgers. Penn State has a chance to win the season series against its next two opponents, Wisconsin and Northwestern. The Lady Lions could also play these Big Ten bottom feeders in the first round of the conference tournamenxt if they can maintain momentum.

And that is where Portland has her gaze set into the crystal ball. This season isn't about postseason tournaments, unless it is the Big Ten tourney starting in March. For that, Portland has constantly reminded her team about where a win will put them in terms of seeding.

Sophomore guard Kamela Gissendanner has been in the meeting rooms and seen Portland's brackets. A loss to the Badgers could put the Lady Lions in the No. 8 seed - No. 9 seed game, which could lead to an unfavorable second-round matchup with the No. 1 seed.

"This is it," Gissendanner said. "We can't fall any lower than we are now. If we fall any lower than we do now, our seeding is going to be horrible."

The sense of urgency, as it relates to the conference tournament, is evident. Portland has set the standard timer to NCAA Tournament berth or bust. Beating Wisconsin would just be another step in the right direction. Otherwise, this season's story might be in the book.

The Lady Lions have been successful in the past in the WNIT, winning the tournament in 1998, but this year the focus is on getting younger players in the weight room and working to polish their talents for the years ahead.

"I'm not into saying, 'Let's get a bunch of wins so we can say, 'We are in postseason,' ' " Portland said. "We need to be real, not get a false image of where our team is in postseason."

For this season, the clock has almost struck midnight.