It was Beach Night at McGonigle Hall last night in Philadelphia when the 22nd-ranked women's basketball team took on unranked Temple. Only this time, the 98-pound weakling kicked sand in the face of the bully as Temple stunned the Lady Lions, 70-64.

"Turnovers, turnovers, we had a total lack of concentration and confidence," Coach Rene Portland said. "Our kids panicked."

"I haven't talked with the players about the standings," Temple coach Linda MacDonald said. "We have not been where we want to be until tonight."

The Lady Lions had a season-high 28 turnovers and shot only 39.5 percent on 23-of-64 shooting. Even though the Lady Owls shot only 45.5 percent (30-of-66) they used tough defense to stymie the Lady Lions.

It was a bad night even for Susan Robinson, who had her consecutive free throw streak halted at 24; she finished 3-of-4.

With the loss, Penn State falls to 16-4 overall and 10-1 in the Atlantic 10 while the Lady Owls upped their marks to 10-10 and 7-4. The Lady Lions have not won in McGonigle Hall since 1986.

Combined with Rutgers' (12-6, 9-1) stunning, 79-78 overtime victory against St. Joseph's (17-4, 12-1) Wednesday, there are now no undefeated teams left in the A-10.

The Lady Owls gained the lead on Rhonda Bates' jumper early into the second half and never relinquished it as they held on for the six-point victory. After a Wendee Booher jumper made it 43-39, the Lady Owls had outscored Penn State 11-4 in the second half and 21-8 since beginning their initial run late in the first.

The Lady Lions made a late charge when guard Tanya Garner hit a 3-point jumper to narrow the lead to 66-62 at the 1:14 mark but it was Temple's foul shooting and Penn State's lack of shooting at the end that preserved the victory. Booher and Kelly Wickes each hit two free throws in the final 41 seconds for the victory.

The late foul shooting resembled the teams' earlier meeting when Penn State needed six free throws in the final 21 seconds to win, 86-79.

Temple was led by Kelly Lane, Bates and Booher, who all had 15 points. Robinson led the Lady Lions with 17 points on 7-of-16 shooting.

Another key to the game was the Lady Owls' defensive effort against Penn State center Kathy Phillips. Phillips, who had a career-high 27 points in the previous meeting, scored just 10 points, eight in the first half, on 5-of-7 shooting. She played only seven minutes in the second half.

"With a good team like Penn State you do extra to try to get pumped up," Bates said. "We knew if we could shut down Kathy Phillips it would be no contest."

Penn State appeared on its way to opening up a big lead in the first half when Phillips put in a layup from Tanya Garner and build a 35-22 lead, its biggest of the game.

Temple was not to be denied though. The Lady Owls charged back and outscored Penn State 8-0 in the final minute and a half.

"(At halftime) I told the kids, 'If you want it you better go out and get it,' " Portland said.

Penn State opened the scoring in the second half with Garner's 15-footer and a Robinson layup that made the score 39-36, but Temple was not fazed by the Lady Lions' fast second-half start.

The Lady Lions kept cutting into the lead in the second half but could only get as close as one, at 48-47. It was the horrific shooting of Dana Eikenberg, Lynn Dougherty and Garner, a combined 8-of-30 that let the Lady Lions down.

Penn State now takes on St. Joseph's at 3 p.m. tomorrow in a battle of previously unbeaten A-10 foes.

"(It is going of be) two very angry teams," Portland said. "They are more veteran than we are, but I'm banking our players have more guts."