When Tiffany Longworth sunk a clutch three-pointer for the women's basketball team last night at Ohio State, Penn State Assistant Coach Susan Robinson lost control of herself -- and her clipboard. It went flying.

"I didn't even see it," Coach Rene Portland said of Longworth's shot. "I was looking for Jackie Donovan -- the play was set for her -- and Tiffany went off . . . it was a terrific shot. It was a backbreaker."

While Longworth had only five points, they were five crucial ones. The No. 1 Lady Lions (14-0, 6-0) came from a two-point deficit in the first half to deny No. 17 Ohio State (11-5, 4-2) an upset with a 74-66 win in Columbus.

"All I can do is laugh and smile -- it was so great," Portland said. "We hit our foul shots coming down the stretch, and that just deflated anything that (Ohio State) did."

Rowdy fans cheered on the Buckeyes last night. It was almost enough, but Ohio State couldn't hang on for the upset. Sophomore guard Tina Nicholson led all players and tied her career-high of 22 points.

"It just came out. I think it was just a good team effort," Nicholson said. "We had a lot of turnovers in the beginning and we knew that we weren't playing our game."

Longworth followed her three-pointer with a field goal. Her five quick points gave the Lady Lions their biggest lead of the night to that point, 58-51.

"It was a crucial point in the game, but they were just playing me back and I just stepped up," she said. "I was fortunate to be there at the right time."

Junior center Missy Masley then rattled off five shots at the line. Combined with two from junior guard Katina Mack, it secured a six-point lead, 67-61.

Masley then fouled out, allowing sophomore guard Adrienne Johnson to bring the Buckeyes within four.

Nicholson and Buckeye forward Katie Smith then traded three-point shots, but Nicholson and Donovan had the last four points from the line to end the game.

The Lady Lions shot 46.2 percent in field goals for the game (24-for-52), while the Buckeyes were 42.6 percent (26-for-61).

The first half was a closely contested battle. After Masley took the rebound off a Katina Mack miss to put the Lady Lions up 11-7, the Buckeyes went on a five-point tear to take the lead, 14-11.

But with the Buckeyes up 20-16, the Lady Lions quickly answered with a six-point run.

The greatest first-half advantage for either team was a five-point lead, held briefly by the Lady Lions twice early in the game. The lead changed hands eight times in the first half, with the Buckeyes up 36-34 at the half.

The Lady Lions had a horrendous 17 turnovers in the first, six by senior forward Helen Holloway. Ohio State had 13. Mack compiled three fouls in the first half, limiting her time on the field.

"At halftime I really just talked to them about mental toughness," Portland said. "We just stayed calm, and staying calm was a big part of it."

The Buckeyes were a perfect 10-for-10 from the line. But despite their lead, Smith -- who was averaging 21.7 points prior to last night -- was held scoreless in the first half.

It was senior guard Donovan who shined for the Lady Lions. The co-captain was second overall with 13 points and held superstar Smith to just nine.

"To us, the key to the game was the play of Jackie Donovan," Portland said. "She was unbelievable . . . (Smith) was bugging her, she was doing it all, and we were just very, very fortunate that nothing took off."

And what Holloway lost in turnovers she gained in rebounds. The co-captain had an impressive 10 last night, seven of them defensive.

Also impressive was junior guard Carla Coleman, who returned to play after sustaining a severe lower back strain on a missed layup against Michigan Sunday.

Coleman showed no fear last night, trying the same move she injured herself with. Although unsuccessful twice, Coleman shot for seven points, erasing any doubts and proving her return wasn't premature.