At Temple, winning is an attitude.

The Phoenix Suns' Tim Perry breathed it when he played for the school on Broad Street. The Sacramento Kings' Duane Causwell tooted it for the Owls in 1990. And most Penn State basketball fans can identify with former All-America guard Mark Macon, who now breathes the Temple fire with the Denver Nuggets.

Those three examples prove that the "attitude" slogan has meaning.

In fact, the Owls (12-8) have been winning with the attitude for years.

And they've owned the Lions. Including Sunday's 73-72 double overtime victory, they have won 16 out of the last 18 meetings between the teams.

'We are successful in what we do," said Owl Coach John Chaney. "People dislike us. It's like us against the world."

That hatred creates rivalry --Temple is to the Penn State men's basketball team what Pitt is to the football team.

But this season, the rivalry has gone with the wind of independence.

So, when the two schools talked about a possible game, neither head coach wanted to play the other on their team's home floor, and understandably so.

"I just said that I would never play them up in Happy Valley," Chaney said.

"We sure weren't going to play them at McGonigle Hall," said Penn State's coach of nine years, Bruce Parkhill.

So, they decided to meet each other halfway in Hershey, in what turned into the Great Temple-Penn State Compromise.

Sunday, however, it seemed like nothing had changed. It was an Atlantic 10 flashback -- before the game Parkhill and Chaney exchanged pleasantries, like they were meeting at the altar for a second time. Bringing back memories of a rivalry that has caused Penn State convulsions over the years.

However, a tournament game last year at the Palestra stands out, as Parkhill's quiet Lions beat Chaney's hooting Owls 52-50 in the A-10 semifinals.

But Chaney's squad bounced back from that loss to beat Purdue, Richmond and Oklahoma State in the NCAAs -- they missed the Final Four by three points, losing to North Carolina 74-71. So, his teams have proven that winning is indeed an attitude.

A noisy attitude. Words make phrases, and John Chaney loves to bellow them.

He shouts them on the sidelines in his high pitched scream ,and he preaches them in practice until he's hoarse.

Chaney bellows because he cares -- about his players and about people.

"It's been great," said Temple forward Mark Strickland, who blocked a career high nine shots Sunday. "He's like a father figure to me.

"He does a lot of hollering on the court, but off the court he's more subtle, more of a dad-type person."

After Sunday's game, Chaney recalled one of the tense moments down the stretch with a funny laugh.

"I wanted to kill Mik Kilgore after he shot that 3-pointer," Chaney laughed.

"But after he said I'm sorry I eased up. How can you kill somebody if they say they're sorry?"

Certainly, Chaney would never want to kill Kilgore. Why would he dispose of his team's leading scorer when in the next two weeks, the Owls have to play Arizona, Memphis State and Wake Forest -- three non-conference before an ultra-competitive Atlantic 10 tournament kicks off in March?

His teams play nationally-known schedules and they've been ranked No. 1 in the country (during the 1988-89 season), and have reached the NCAA final eight twice during Chaney's 10-year reign.

Visibility is Chaney's style. He wants people to see how his Temple program is doing. He also want people to hear about it.

When Chaney talks . . . people not only listen, they become captivated. At times, some will laugh with him and at him.

He speaks passionately and candidly about topics as diverse as basketball, life and education.

Chaney even has comments about Penn State, now a year removed from Temple and the Atlantic 10, and getting ready to fully integrate itself into the Big Ten.

"It seems that football is the tail wagging the dog," Chaney said. "(In basketball) I think it's going to be a little more difficult for them to recruit, being where they are geographically."

Parkhill vehemently disagreed. "A lot of eastern coaches have been saying that. It's been proven that it has helped recruiting this past fall."

Chaney: "It's a different type of basketball player. Nothing against Bruce. I was very proud of him when he beat UCLA. There are athletes that won't be able to meet the standards of Penn State -- there are kids that aren't going to class."

Clearly, Chaney is to Temple what Joe Paterno is to Penn State. He's unique. He's an intriguing figure. His players practice at 5:30 every morning, and he says that gives them no excuse to skip classes during the day.

And if they do, like center Donald Hodge, they'll either end up in the NBA if they are good enough, or they'll fall flat on their faces.

"I just told (Hodge) that college is still worthwhile," Chaney said. "He didn't like education. He'll find that life will spank you, in many ways."

Much like Georgetown's John Thompson, Chaney has been a national speaker against the NCAA's Proposition 48 , and the more recent Proposition 16.

"They failed with 48 and with 46," Chaney said. "They listened to the wrong guys -- like Paterno and Arthur Ashe, two people who have no clue as far as youngsters are concerned.

"A poor person isn't going to be able to afford a Temple and a Penn State. A poor person doesn't have $100,000. Prop 16 doesn't help poor people.

"I have always said that we must begin educating the young at an early level," he said. He mentioned the work ethics of the Japanese.

"You only get so far with talent," he said. "Every athlete is going to meet their match on the court. It's thinking and using your head. Good attitudes help athletes grow as people."