When Penn State women's basketball coach Rene Portland announced to her team that practice was canceled on Wednesday, she received more than a sigh of relief in return.

Portland said that the team started cheering when the announcement was made, eager to enjoy a much-needed bye week. With five games left in the season that will determine their entrance to postseason play, it couldn't have come at a better time.

The Lady Lions (12-12, 5-6 Big Ten) will take that extra rest to Evanston, Ill., to face last-place Northwestern (6-18, 0-11) at 3 p.m. Sunday at the Wildcats' Welsh-Ryan Arena.

Both teams have a lot at stake. Northwestern is looking for its first conference win, and Penn State will be trying for its first Big Ten road win. However, the odds favor the Lady Lions. When these two teams met on Jan. 4, Penn State pummeled Northwestern at home, 85-53, as every Lady Lion scored in the game.

Even though their opponent may not appear intimidating on paper, the Lady Lions know the importance of getting a win on the road. They have not beaten the same Big Ten team twice this year.

"Let's just take one step at a time that's gonna be the most important thing to go in on Sunday," Portland said. "We had tried with Michigan State to beat them and then try to beat them again [on the road], and that's the same thing they're gonna run into on Sunday. We were successful against Northwestern here, now do we go away and be successful? There are certainly challenges that we can prove things to ourselves."

The extra rest from the bye week will also help sophomore guard Mashea Williams and junior guard Kam Gissendanner recover from slight injuries. Williams is still recovering from a viral infection, and Gissendanner has a nagging foot injury.

Gissendanner's health is especially crucial to the Lady Lions. She ranks third in the Big Ten with 16.9 points per game, behind only Jolene Anderson of Wisconsin and Jessica Davenport of Ohio State. She has been especially solid since the start of conference play.

"Kam really came back after Christmas very, very focused," Portland said. "She knew she had to step up to the plate. It helped her leadership skills. She's a very team-oriented person and knew that she's always had the green light to score, and because of a different situation, she was given that opportunity and just ran with it."

As Penn State stands in a three-way tie for fifth place in the Big Ten, Northwestern has been struggling and Wildcats' head coach Beth Combs has switched the starting lineup throughout the season. The Wildcats' biggest threat will be senior guard/forward A. J. Glasauer, who averages 12.3 points per game.

As the regular season draws to a close, Portland emphasized that the team cannot afford to take any of their opponents lightly.

"[Northwestern] is a team we did beat here at home so it's important to go out and beat a team twice," Portland said. "The NCAA [selection] group does look at how you finish a season, and we need to build some strength right here and we need to win on the road."