INDIANAPOLIS – Brianne O'Rourke found herself in a somewhat unusual position. For once, it was her standing behind the three-point line. For once, it was her knocking down crucial jumpers. For once, it was her team celebrating a win in its road blue uniforms.

It was O'Rourke's defense, court vision and ball control that helped the Lady Lions (15-15, 8-9 Big Ten) build an early advantage against Illinois last night in the Big Ten Tournament, and it was her three triples that helped them keep it, en route to a 61-49 victory. Still, O'Rourke admits that she was simply doing her job.

"I just did whatever the team needed me to do tonight," O'Rourke said. "I had some open shots and I wasn't hesitant when I was open, and they found me whenever I was open."

O'Rourke couldn't use the word "open" enough to describe her position in the Conseco Fieldhouse, and the Illini (18-11, 8-9) are probably still wondering what just happened. After all, wasn't this minute point guard that scored 13 on them averaging only 6.2 points per game? Hadn't she made only 19 three-pointers all season?

But with Illinois defenders hounding center Amanda Brown and holding guard Kam Gissendanner scoreless after halftime, O'Rourke decided to surprise everyone. It was a trick that did everything but entertain the Illini. And when Illinois pulled within four, its closest deficit of the second half and a major momentum shifter, O'Rourke's sharpshooting proved the bullet through the heart.

In addition to her clutch scoring, O'Rourke performed her usual duties. She dished out six assists and thieved the ball three times, including a steal and fast break layup for the game's first basket. Her role in the half-court trap stifled Illinois' leading scorer Lori Bjork, containing her to a season-low four points and her first game without a three-pointer of her own all season. But perhaps O'Rourke's most impressive statistic was the big, beautiful goose egg laid in the column she wanted it most: turnovers.

"[O'Rourke] played great defense when we needed her to play defense and she took care of the basketball," head coach Rene Portland said. "And at the end of the game when we were telling her just to stay still and run this thing, she was very patient and did what she had to do."

To live up to Penn State's mantra of "never lose to the same team twice," O'Rourke needed to perform better than she did in Dec. 28's loss to Illinois. She loosened up, acknowledging that nothing about the previous defeat meant anything now. She completed the point guard's No. 1 objective: she led.

"We came into this tournament wanting to win it, and it all started [Friday night]," she said. "We we're 0-0. Everyone was 0-0 coming into this tournament… just this week, we were focusing on a new season and starting things out right."

O'Rourke's ability to keep the ball securely in her possession and the lead in the Lady Lion's favor will keep her team in Indianapolis for two more days. It will keep hope of a postseason berth alive for at least one more game. And it will ensure that she will take the court of Conseco Fieldhouse again.

Maybe next time, her opponents will be ready.