It's a win that Penn State men's basketball coach Ed DeChellis referenced several times during his team's recent stretch of games against top-ranked Ohio State and Wisconsin. He was still holding out hope that something like it would happen again.

Last season's upset victory at then-No. 6 Illinois, which ended the Illini's streak of 33 consecutive wins at home, is a game that several Nittany Lions hold as the treasure of their on-court college careers.

At 2 tomorrow at the Bryce Jordan Center, Penn State (10-16, 1-12 Big Ten) will face Illinois (20-9, 8-6) for the first time since last Feb. 4.

"That was where I thought and, I think Ed felt the same way, that they were making progress as a team," Illinois coach Bruce Weber said of last year's game. "You kind of thought, 'Hey, they're going to be a major factor in the league [this season].' I'm not sure what has happened to them."

Instead of building off last year's record-breaking victory and creating more positive memories as intended, the Lions have struggled to capture any kind of win, at home or on the road this Big Ten season.

Penn State has not won a game since it defeated Northwestern at the Jordan Center in its conference opener.

The Lions current 12-game regular season losing streak is the longest in school history since the 1984-85 season, when Penn State lost its final 15 under first-year coach Bruce Parkhill.

Not exactly what Penn State's two seniors -- Ben Luber and fellow guard David "Mooch" Jackson -- had in mind as their final collegiate season's wind down.

"They're both disappointed," DeChellis said. "They would like to win more games, but that hasn't happened."

Tomorrow's game, which will be televised on ESPN, is not the Lions final home contest of the season (that is Feb. 28 vs. Iowa), but it is officially senior day.

Luber, a four-year point guard, is the lone member remaining from former coach Jerry Dunn's final recruiting class. DeChellis inherited that class after Dunn resigned following the 2002-03 season. Luber will leave Penn State as the third player in school history to lead the school in assists for four years.

Jackson, the oldest Lion at 24 years old, transferred to Penn State after two seasons at Gulf Coast (Fla.) Community College. He is coming off of a season-high 14 points scored at Ohio State on Wednesday night.

"Basketball wise, we've had some good moments and obviously some tough moments. Hopefully, their athletic experiences will affect them in life if things maybe don't go well," DeChellis said of Jackson and Luber.

Penn State has three conference games remaining, then head to the Big Ten tournament in Chicago.

"Sometimes the realization hits that there's no more practices or locker rooms," DeChellis said. "I always just ask them, give me one thing, everything you have. You only get to do this for so many games, and you're career is over."