When the Penn State women's basketball team takes the court of Cameron Indoor Stadium, it thinks it'll be ready.

Last year, the young Lady Lions came out hyped at the Bryce Jordan Center, only for an experienced Duke team to overwhelm and exploit it in the season opener. This season, the Lady Lions (4-0) hope a year's worth of tough games and a successful opening stretch will prove more positive as they take on the No. 5 Blue Devils (3-0) tonight in Durham, N.C.

"This year, I think we believe we can play with Duke, more than we did last year," sophomore point guard Brianne O'Rourke said. "This year, we definitely think we are on their level now and definitely can give them a run for their money and beat them."

Six Lady Lions jumped right into the fire in 2005, playing their first collegiate game against the perennial powerhouse Blue Devils in the 93-67 loss. By contrast, the team, though still young, is now coming off four convincing wins before hitting Tobacco Road.

"Now, we head out to play some of the nation's best," head coach Rene Portland said. "If we want to live up to the traditions and expectations of Lady Lion basketball, we need to put ourselves back into that."

Both Penn State and Duke have frustrated opposing shooters. Penn State is holding opponents to 31 percent from the field, while Duke contains them to a miniscule 26 percent.

Portland has added emphasis on quick, aggressive defense, and said that O'Rourke, Mashea Williams and Tyra Grant have answered the challenge. They will have to step it up even more to contain Abby Waner, a versatile guard who paces Duke with 15 points per game.

Grant, a freshman phenom who tops the Lady Lions with 14.7 points per contest, will be facing another first-year superstar. Duke's Bridgette Mitchell averages a double-double off the bench for the Blue Devils.

Grant is hyped to hit the road against a top program for the first time.

"I'm excited," Grant said. "That's what you live for. Being a freshman, and being able to play and give something to the team. I can't wait."

After its contest with Duke, Penn State will travel farther south to compete in the Paradise Jam in the U.S. Virgin Islands on Friday and Saturday. Two ranked teams, Rutgers and Arizona State, also will be making the trip into the warm weather.

Portland said the team has been preparing hard -- not just on the court, but in the tanning booth as well.

"We allow it to distract us a little bit, to be quite honest. We don't go on the trip and not eat breakfast outside," Portland said. "To me, that's the experience of a student athlete.

"I think this will be a good week for us," she said. "We can learn some things about us, negatives and positives. But we're looking for the positives."