Most teams get only one shot at a statement game. This group was lucky -- it got two.

The No. 17 Penn State women's basketball team lost earlier this season to No. 4 Kansas State and its second shot at a top-five team resulted in a loss to No. 2 Louisiana State, 80-63, on Jan. 4.

The Lady Lions found themselves in an early hole, but managed to stay within 10 points most of the way despite countless turnovers and foul trouble.

"I still hate losing," Penn State women's basketball coach Rene Portland said. "I was very angry and disappointed at my team.

They didn't have the mentality that they needed."

The Lions seemed scared early, and seemed intimidated by the big crowd and national program that is LSU.

Following the game and its 10-day road trip, Portland placed the burden of losing the games on the team's leaders.

"I came back questioning our leadership," she said. "I had to make some changes."

One of those changes was benching starting point guard Jess Strom, despite her averages of 9.4 points and 7.5 assists per game.

Portland brought Strom off the bench in the following two contests before starting her against Northwestern on Sunday.

Without Strom starting the Big Ten opener, the Lions still blew No. 10 Minnesota out of the Bryce Jordan Center, 83-53. The players seemed motivated and determined after the loss.

"We definitely realized that we came into the [LSU] game scared," center Ashli Schwab said.

"We were pretty much embarrassed on national television.

We realized after it was a reality check and we had to come together and play better."

One of the reasons for the team's better play of late is the inside presence of Schwab.

She came into the season as the team's only legitimate presence in the post, on a guard-oriented team.

Sixteen games, 10.4 points and 7.3 rebounds per game later, Schwab said her teammates are getting used to her in the post and are becoming comfortable giving her the ball.

Her numbers against LSU tell the story. She was the only player who it could be said had a solid game.

Schwab said the Lions now know they can play with anybody, if they play their game.

The 6-foot-3 sophomore left Baton Rouge confident, but did not play against Northwestern due to shin splints.

She is expected to play Thursday at Purdue.

While LSU might appear on the scorecard as a loss, it seems the Lions have learned from it, and may even be a better team because of it.