On February 3, the No. 2 Penn State men's gymnastics team took to the floor against No. 1 Michigan and lost a heartbreaker to the Wolverines, losing by less than a point.

It would not be until Feb. 17, that the team would compete again, so the Nittany Lions had two full weeks to dwell on their first defeat of the season.

Although the loss hurt the Lions, the close defeat just may have been the best result for the team.

"The loss motivated the team more than a win would have," senior captain Matt Cohen said. "It gave us more focus. These guys are ready."

The extra time and more determination paid off against No. 5 Illinois in Penn State's best performance to date. The scores Saturday night certainly reflected that. In fact, the scores may not show exactly how impressive the Lions were against the Illini. In every event, at least one gymnast posted a season-high.

The two-week layoff also gave Penn State some much-needed rest and time to focus on some of the team's few shortcomings in events -- like the high bar, which led to the team's collapse against the top-ranked Wolverines.

"Losing to Michigan gave fuel to the fire," junior Derek Helsby said. "It's never good to lose in front of the home crowd."

The usual sore-in-their-side-event instead morphed into a season-high score of 37.200 for the Lions. Junior Tommy Ramos even won the event, posting a 9.500, the best score for any Penn State individual this season.

Not only did the scores lead to a dominating Penn State victory, but also instilled more poise into a team that was at yearly low in morale.

"The rest helped for a lot of guys. We are still improving on what we are doing," Penn State head coach Randy Jepson said. "It's a big shot of confidence."

Some say you learn more about yourself after a loss than after a win.

If the Michigan loss continues to inspire the Lions for the rest of the season, the rest of the nation better watch out.

Just ask Illinois.