INDIANAPOLIS -- Penn State has played in five Big Ten tournament championship games and -- with a No. 1 seed and first-round bye -- is favored to get there again this year.

Still, the Lady Lions (23-7, 13-3 Big Ten) can't shake the memory of their title-game defeat to Indiana a year ago.

"That's still fresh in our minds. That's still there,'' coach Rene Portland said.

It could be enough to fuel Penn State to a third tournament championship. The Lady Lions won the tournament in 1995 and 1996, and lost championship games in 1998, 2000 and 2002.

Penn State won its third regular-season title this year and earned a sweep of the big three conference postseason awards. Kelly Mazzante was selected conference player of the year, Portland was named the league's top coach and Tanisha Wright was its best defensive player.

None of that will matter Thursday, when the Big Ten tournament starts at Conseco Fieldhouse.

"That's all behind us,'' Portland said. "We're going to the next thing.''

Penn State could be in for an early championship rematch. The Lady Lions will play the winner of Thursday's Wisconsin-Indiana game.

The Lady Lions -- along with Minnesota, Purdue, Ohio State and Michigan State -- have first-round byes.

The Hoosiers came out of nowhere last season as the fifth seed to knock off Purdue and Penn State to win the tournament and earn the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

While the Hoosiers had to win the tournament to advance, Penn State already had a postseason bid locked up. Portland said it was more than desperation that helped the Hoosiers last year.

She said the Hoosiers enjoyed the homecourt advantage on a supposed neutral court.

"Purdue will always have an advantage. Indiana will always have an advantage,'' Portland said. "Indianapolis has really been an advantage to some of the home teams.''

Indianapolis hosts the tournament for the eighth time in nine years.

Purdue coach Kristy Curry agreed that Conseco has been like a second home court. The Boilermakers have played regular-season games there in the past and some of their players have played high school championship games there, also.

"We feel like it's Mackey South,'' Curry said. "It's a great opportunity for us.''

Indiana coach Kathi Bennett said her team fed off the energy of the pro-Hoosier crowd, clad mostly in red.

"The atmosphere is something that is very special,'' she said. "Then you have to go back to the experience of last year and the good feelings they had from last year. That is something that makes it very special.''

The Hoosiers are in a similar spot this year. The top six teams in the conference -- Penn State, Purdue, Minnesota, Ohio State, Michigan State and Illinois -- appear to have an NCAA Tournament berth secured.

The Boilermakers, who had their two-year reign as Big Ten champions end this year, are looking to win at least one of the titles for the seventh straight year.