Everybody knew that Kelly Mazzante was going to get the ball. There was only one twist - she didn't.

Tanisha Wright took the ball with time winding down and the game on the line, and proceeded to hit the winning runner in the lane with 5.8 seconds remaining.

The bucket gave the No. 13 Penn State women's basketball team (16-5, 6-1 Big Ten) a 72-70 come-from behind victory over Michigan (11-6, 2-4) last night at Crisler Arena.

The Wolverines dominated the first 30 minutes of play and had built up a seemingly insurmountable 56-43 lead midway through the second half. The Lions were playing their fourth game in eight days and it showed, but something happened as the Lady Lions all of a sudden picked up their intensity and energy.

"[Tanisha] Wright brought this team together," Penn State women's basketball coach Rene Portland said on the Penn State Sports Radio Network. "There was a time tonight when they could have folded. They didn't, they stayed together."

The Lions stayed together thanks to a 17-1 run during a five-minute stretch, which gave them their first lead at 58-57 since early in the first half.

From there the teams went back and fourth trading baskets the rest of the way until the score was deadlocked at 70 with 22.6 seconds left.

The Wolverines did a great job of denying Mazzante the ball, but not Wright, who stepped up to hit the winning shot. She finished with 13 points and ten rebounds, picking up the slack for Mazzante who struggled to get her shots to fall all night and ended with just 13 points.

Six Wolverine players scored in double figures, but it was Jess Brungo's game-high 25 points, which helped put the Lions over the top.

"It was almost like Braveheart," Portland said. "They can't take away your rebounding; they can't take away your heart."

The Lions played the entire game with one less heartbeat, as starting center Ashli Schwab didn't even make the trip to Michigan, as she is sidelined for 10 days with a leg injury.

Portland was forced to start Hazel Joseph, and give valuable minutes to Tiffany Tomlinson once Joseph got into foul trouble. She still expects big things out of whoever is on the floor.

"They have to give us the double-double Ashli was giving us," she said prior to the game. "I still expect that much even with Ashli not with us."

The win prevented the Lions from dropping their second straight on the road, but more importantly kept them in a first place conference tie with Ohio State.

Fans will not have to wait long to see these two go at it, as the Buckeyes come to Happy Valley on Thursday with first place at stake for the victor.