The No. 5 Ohio State women's basketball team has the opportunity to add an extra scoop of tradition to its already dazzling program tonight. Penn State is simply looking for its first Big Ten road win.

With a win over the Lady Lions at 8 in Columbus, Ohio, the Buckeyes will become the first team since 1989-90 to win or share three consecutive Big Ten regular-season titles. The Iowa Hawkeyes are the most recent to earn three or more consecutive conference titles, but for their run, Ohio State was the standard.

From 1982-87 -- a five-season span -- Ohio State was champion or co-champions of the Big Ten regular season. In 25 seasons of Big Ten play, Ohio State has won or shared nine titles. Iowa and Purdue have each claimed at least a portion of seven conference titles, which is second behind Ohio State.

And when they take the floor tonight, Ohio State head coach Jim Foster thinks that his players will have the idea of a championship in mind.

"I just think our focus is on what we have to do," Foster said. "We have some veteran players who have been through this before and understand the significance and importance for us. I think it was a wake up call on Sunday about being intense."

Ohio State (24-2, 13-1 Big Ten) had its first chance to clinch a portion of the title on Sunday but was foiled by No. 20 Michigan State, which snapped Ohio State's 17-game-winning streak in doing so.

"It was just a one-game blip," Foster said. "I would view it as the human condition."

The Lady Lions performance away from State College, which continued pitifully last weekend, has proven to be anything but a minor blip.

Penn State (13-14, 6-8) lost to Iowa on the road, dropping its conference road record to 0-7. With a win, the Lady Lions would've jumped to fourth in the conference standings. Instead, they slipped into a tie for sixth. With two games left, the Lady Lions are fighting to move up to the fifth spot, which would earn them a bye in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament which starts on March 1 in Indianapolis.

Penn State has lost its last five games against Ohio State, which is led by two-time Big Ten Player of the Year Jessica Davenport. The Buckeyes will be without guard Brandie Hoskins, who tore her left Achilles' tendon earlier in the year. Hoskins had 12 points and five rebounds the first time Penn State and Ohio State played this season at the Jordan Center, a 63-61 Ohio State win.

"We're just a different basketball team; we play a little bit differently," Foster said. "Everybody's got to be a little bit better with the ball. Before we let Brandie do a lot and make decisions for us."

Penn State head coach Rene Portland said that not too much has been made of the Lady Lions' first meeting with the Buckeyes. Portland was more concerned with correcting the problems on her end of the floor. And this weekend, none will trump finally winning one on the road.

"We've cleaned up things at home and so, I think we need to continue to attack the away thing," Portland said. "We just need to become a better basketball team. Good, good basketball teams win on the road."

Notes:

Freshman guard Meggan Quinn, who tore the ACL and MCL in her right knee in practice on Feb. 8, successfully underwent surgery Tuesday at Mount Nittany Medical Center, sports information director Kris Petersen said.

Dr. Wayne Sebastianelli performed the operation, Petersen said. Sebastianelli operated on Joe Paterno's knee earlier in the year. Quinn, who is staying at a nearby hotel with her family, will remain at Penn State through the summer to rehabilitate the knee.