After suffering defeat at the hands of the Penn State women's basketball team on Tuesday night, South Carolina head coach Susan Walvius admitted that the Lady Lions' depth was vital to their victory.

Penn State coach Rene Portland smiled widely and laughed a little bit about the compliment.

"You were like shocked that she was talking about my team and depth," Portland joked to journalists at the postgame press conference. "It's sorta nice to turn around and see some players come off the bench and do things."

Portland, known for typically running a smaller rotation and giving her starters big minutes, was able to keep her team fresh and wear down the Gamecocks in the Lady Lions' (3-0) 68-57 victory at the Bryce Jordan Center.

In each of the team's wins, Portland's juggling of players has perplexed and drained opposing defenses.

"We have a starting lineup and we give them a few minutes to get things done, then we're able to sub," Portland said.

"It helps us with fatigue. We can avoid fatigue by subbing."

The Lady Lions' top scorer, guard Kam Gissendanner, has averaged only 22.3 minutes per game but Penn State hasn't missed a beat with her off the floor.

Freshman phenom Tyra Grant came off the bench to lead the team in scoring in each of the last two games, while Mashea Williams, Courtney Molinaro and Rashida Mark have all seen significant minutes at some point in the young season.

"I love being on the court. [The depth] is beneficial [for fatigue], but I'm gonna be ready to play," Gissendanner said. "That's what coaches want me to do."

Gissendanner's mid-range game, Grant's and Williams' slashing and Adrienne Squire's outside shooting compliment each other nicely. The array of weapons allows Portland to mix-and-match her team on the court to exploit weaknesses in opponents.

"It gives us different combinations of people, which is real good," Portland said. "You can have shooters in, you can have penetrators in. It allows us to change the game plan a little bit."

Though the backcourt has a wider multitude of options, depth up front was crucial against the vertically gifted Gamecocks. Portland was constantly switching up post players to absorb the blows of the physical South Carolina forwards.

"In the post position it helps just because you're going to get the crap beat out of you," Portland said.

"It's nice that we can throw some bodies in there."

For Portland, it's like completing a different jigsaw puzzle with every game. Each of her players can fit into a different opening to complete the picture.

"They're all bringing something to the table right now," she said.