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Penn Hoops Upsets No. 6 Temple


Nate Blackwell, Eddie Jones and Mark Macon can quit bragging about Temple's 16-year winning streak over Penn.

It's over.

Michael Jordan had 22 points as Penn stunned No. 6 Temple with three 3-pointers in overtime Monday night for a 73-70 victory, the Quakers' first over John Chaney.

"We have to work out with these guys all summer," said Penn's Matt Langel, who scored 12 points, including three 3-pointers. "We work out with guys like Mark Macon and Eddie Jones and Aaron McKie, and all they say is, `We come in here every year and kick your butt.' Now, we have something to say. We won."

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Some pretty big basketball names have passed through Chaney's program without losing to the Quakers (1-1). Now, an Owls team that many believe is the most talented Chaney has coached let the winning streak die.

"They play like that, they're going to be in the NCAAs before we are," said Chaney, who had beaten the Quakers 17 straight times since becoming Temple's coach in 1982.

The Owls (4-1) had a chance to win their second straight game at the foul line in the closing seconds of regulation. But Lynn Greer made the first to tie it at 58 and missed the second with 3.4 seconds left, sending it to overtime.

Greer, subbing for injured Pepe Sanchez, led the Owls with 23 points. Sanchez, whose two free throws with 0.5 seconds left beat No. 7 Michigan State on Friday night, was out with a sprained ankle.

Chaney said it was possible Sanchez was injured after the Michigan State game, when he sank the free throws, collapsed on the court and was rushed and nearly trampled by hundreds of fans.

"I don't know when

Jed Ryan
Jed Ryan grabs a rebound and Penn pulled off the upset. (AP)
he did it, either during the game or he got stepped on after the game," Chaney said. "He told me he could play but I wasn't going to play him. I don't think it would have made a bit of difference."

The Quakers, who lost a 61-56 thriller to No. 8 Kansas last week, nearly blew a six-point lead in overtime. But after Jordan hit two free throws with 5.8 seconds left, Greer dribbled to the top of the key and missed a 3-point attempt at the buzzer.

The sellout crowd of 8,732 charged the floor in the Palestra, culminating an outstanding week of college hoops in Philadelphia. Penn's games with Kansas and Temple were at the Palestra, and the Owls' thriller against the Spartans was on Temple's campus in north Philly.

"This is the best place in the world to play college basketball," Quakers coach Fran Dunphy said of the Palestra, where fans stood in the aisles in an atmosphere reminiscent of the city's storied Big Five doubleheaders.

Temple missed its first four field goal attempts in overtime while Jordan, Frank Brown and Jed Ryan hit 3-pointers for a 66-59 lead with 1:42 left. The Owls also missed four of their first five foul shots in OT.

But brown drove to the basket and was blocked instead of running down the clock, and Paul Romanczuk fouled Lamont Barnes after a steal under the basket with 7.2 seconds left, giving Temple hope. Barnes, who had 15 points, made both free throws to cut it to 71-70.

Jordan was fouled and made both with 5.8 seconds remaining to preserve the Quakers' biggest victory in the Palestra since knocking off Villanova 71-59 in 1992.

"It's the first time in 17 years," Jordan said. "It's a great win."

Penn last beat Temple 59-56 on Feb. 9, 1982 - the year before Chaney's first season.

Owls freshman Mark Karcher fouled out with 16 points. Ryan had 13 for the Quakers.

© 1998 SportsLine USA, Inc. All rights reserved

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