The team barely got into Kohl Center. Two did not even make the trip. Only one actually showed up, but only for the first half.

Penn State (11-18, 5-9 Big Ten) fell to Wisconsin (10-16, 4-10 Bit Ten), 66-56 after blowing a two point halftime advantage.

"This is a game we could've -- should've [won]," Penn State women's basketball told the Penn State Sports Network.

The Lady Lions almost didn't get into the building because of a snowstorm in Madison, Wisc., but junior Charity Renfro and Brittany Remmey remained in State College. Renfro sustained a concussion and Remmey pulled a hamstring Tuesday at practice.

Portland said somebody in the post was going to have to step up, The smart money was not on Rashida Mark.

But when Renfro's replacement, Courtney Molinaro and Romana Vynuchalova picked up two fouls, Mark was the only forward left. She offered the Lady Lions her best performance in just the first half, by netting eight points and pulling down seven boards.

Penn State went on a 12-2 run to close out the half, taking a two-point lead into the break.

Prior to that run, The Lady Lions were getting abused on the glass by the conference's best offensive rebounding club by a margin of 13-7. By halftime, Mark erased the deficit seemingly by herself, giving Penn State a 19-15 edge on the boards.

"The team did a great job, but we missed them," Portland said, referring to Renfro and Remmey. "Rashida did a great job."

So Portland did the logical thing. She pulled the one player making any contribution by re-inserting Molinaro to start the second half.

Wisconsin took advantage by going on a 19-7 run, and when Mark did get back in, she quickly picked up two fouls, and failing to reestablish her first half rhythm, she returned to her seat.

Penn State still was unable to get anything going, and Mark did return with 8:30 left, only to pick up an over-the-back foul following an Amanda Brown airball typifying an all-around careless second half.

Brown still led the team with 14 points. She was the only player in double figures. Meanwhile, five players from Wisconsin had ten points or more.

The loss can be attributed, in part, to the depleted roster, a role reversal from the first meeting between the Badgers and the Lady Lions.

On Jan. 8, Wisconsin missed point guard Janesse Banks listlessly falling 69-54. Banks had 11 points and 5 assists last night.

Penn State missed a crucial opportunity to gain a game on sixth-place Iowa, who fell at Michigan State last night.

Illinois, managed to pull out a one-point win over intrastate rival Northwestern, putting the Lady Lions and Fighting Illini in a tie for seventh.

"We have to use this game to get angry and propel us into something else," Portland said.

It's a nice thought, but showing up would be a nice start with only two games remaining before the Big Ten Tournament.