New Year's Eve, 2000.

A match up between bitter rivals that came down to four crucial free throws in the closing seconds.

With three clicks showing on the clock Ohio State guard Lauren Shenk fouled Penn State forward Maren Walseth and sent her to the line. Walseth would hit the first shot, miss the second, but fellow forward Lisa Shepherd snatched the rebound from the air and was fouled after her own shot attempt with one second remaining. She made two free throws, allowing Penn State to escape Value City Arena with a 66-63 victory.

Now the Buckeyes (13-6, 3-6 Big Ten) come to Happy Valley riding a two-game losing streak to face the No. 15 Lady Lions (14-6, 6-3) coming off a 97-49 demolishing of Michigan State Sunday.

Ohio State has struggled to ride the winning track since entering Big Ten play in December. After winning its first 10 non-conference games, the Buckeyes have not had success putting together any winning stretch besides a two-game winning streak two weeks ago.

But even though Ohio State has labored in the Big Ten season to produce wins Penn State still expects a battle with the foe. The Buckeyes play a tenacious defense and full court press that can be difficult to handle.

"Ohio State is always a physical game," Penn State coach Rene Portland said. "We have to be ready to handle their pressure."

Along with Penn State's share of injuries, the Buckeyes have been hampered all season with its own setbacks. Perhaps the biggest injury of all was the loss of the 2000 Big Ten Freshman of the Year LaToya Turner to a torn anterior cruciate ligament against Michigan State. Turner was pacing the Buckeyes with 17.8 points per game and conference high 2.31 blocks per game.

In the two teams first match up of the season Turner posted a 25 point and 11 rebound performance versus the Lions.

"Turner has been a very key loss to their team," Portland said.

However, Ohio State has other players that have picked up after losing Turner and allows them to still be a threat in any game.

Buckeye guard Tomeka Brown is a defensive specialist who blankets any player bringing the ball up the court. Forward Courtney Coleman has picked up her scoring in the past few weeks and has turned into a real offensive threat and Shenk, the junior point guard, seems to step up her play when facing the Lions.

"She (Shenk) always plays tough against us," Portland said. "She is always very poised and is a great 3-point shooter. She plays with a great amount of confidence."

Penn State has its own players ready for a win. Kelly Mazzante is coming off fresh from her Big Ten Player of the Week honor and sophomore guard Ashley Luke should be back in the starting lineup after having surgery on a broken finger. The Lions are tied for second place in the Big Ten and a win tonight could have major implications for tournament time coming soon.

"This game is very important for us for seeding in the Big Ten Tournament," Portland said. "We don't want to be No. 6 in the league and play on a Thursday night."