MHERST -- University of Massachusetts Medical Center 1, Temple 0.

Doctors at the Worcester-based institution provided a big assist in one the flagship school's most thrilling wins of the season, a 56-55 decision over Temple yesterday, when they gave guard Mike Williams medical clearance to rejoin the team Wednesday. Williams had collapsed on the court during a Jan. 27 game against Cincinnati.

Williams' return at midweek gave him one game and a few practices to prepare for the most important Atlantic 10 Conference showdown of the year. In the closing seconds, he made his presence felt, hitting a pumping, 10-foot scoop shot with three seconds left that gave the 11th-ranked Minutemen the victory over eighth-ranked Temple before a sellout Mullins Center crowd. The win, UMass' fourth over Temple in the last five games, extended the Minutemen's on-campus winning streak to 28 games.

Williams, who looked winded and a step slow in Thursday night's game against Rhode Island, had a team-high 17 points and two steals yesterday. That included a 3-point basket that cut Temple's lead to 49-46 with 4:45 left, and a steal and layup with 3:29 left, making it 49-48.

"Coach John Calipari wanted me to go one-on-one and get a shot off," said Williams, who went through extensive testing in Worcester and at University Hospital in Cincinnati before being cleared. "I put all the stuff that happened to me in Cincinnati behind, because I needed to stay focused in the game."

His winning jumper capped a dramatic rally for the Minutemen (19-4, 10-0), who trailed, 47-39, with 7:47 left and looked done for.

"It was good to have Mike at crunch time," said Calipari. "Everyone knew who was going to get the ball. Mike was to go out and create a play, and, if he was covered, Derek Kellogg was alone in the corner, so he could pass it to him. And the others were to crash the boards hard.

"Mike has been pretty good in practice. It's just that the intensity level of the team has been raised since he's been gone, and he has to continue to raise his intensity level."

Williams managed to raise Calipari's blood pressure at halftime yesterday and during a practice last week, when he jokingly faked a setback in front of his coach. "Mike doesn't realize that I almost had a heart attack," said Calipari.

Williams' winning shot also spoiled Temple's bid to claim its first win on UMass' campus since the 1990-91 season. The Owls (17-4, 10-3) held the Minutemen to 32-percent shooting in the second half, limited UMass' leading scorer, Lou Roe, to 9 points and led most of the way.

"They made sure Lou wasn't going to be a factor. I kept telling my players that when you play Temple you have to pass the ball inside to draw the defense, then pass it back out for the shot," said Calipari.

"They were passing it around on the perimeter, and when you do that, they get in your face."

But the Owls suffered from several miscues down the stretch, one with 39.2 seconds left, as Rick Brunson, inbounding from the Temple end of the floor, attempted a pass over the halfcourt line to teammate Chris Ozment, who was standing around the UMass 3-point line. UMass forward Donta Bright intercepted the pass, was fouled by Ozment and hit two free throws, giving UMass a 54-53 lead.

Temple forward Eddie Jones (19 points) then hit two free throws with 11.1 seconds left, setting up Williams' heroics. After Williams' jumper, Temple guard Aaron McKie (20 points) attempted a 3-pointer in the final second, but wasn't close.

"I think there were a couple of times in the game when we usually stop a team and we were beat on the boards," said Temple coach John Chaney. "On Williams' game-winner Rick Brunson went after the big play. He went after the steal. When he left his feet, he created a crease and Williams just went through it."

MHERST -- Yesterday's UMass-Temple game had plenty of tension and fireworks. But not nearly as many as the postgame news conference.

Temple coach John Chaney, who calmly spoke to the media about the game and then left, returned moments later while UMass coach John Calipari was speaking and initiated a verbal confrontation. Then Chaney charged the podium where Calipari was standing, and the two had to be restrained by UMass players, Temple players and assistant coaches and a Mullins Center events staff person.

While Calipari spoke about his team's 56-55 victory, Chaney entered the news conference room from the back door and said, "Can I please say something? Coach, you don't say expletive to officials without me being involved in it. I'm not going to be a party to that. Against George Washington you won with three expletive calls down the stretch. You had the best guys out there today. Three class guys."

"You weren't out there coach," Calipari answered. "You don't know a thing about it."

Apparently the two were referring to a dicussion witnesses said they saw Calipari having with officials after the game.

"You send your kids out there pushing and shoving," Chaney continued. "I get my expletive blasted at West Virginia and . . . "

"Coach, let me tell you something," said Calipari, at which time Chaney ran toward him. He was restrained and carried out by UMass guard Mike Williams, Temple forward Eddie Jones, Temple assistant Dean Demopoulos and the Mullins Center event staff person. UMass guard Derek Kellogg restrained Calipari.

Before Chaney left the room, he said, "I'm going to kick your ass. You remember that. When I see you, I'm going to kick your ass. You've got a good team. You don't need that kind of edge. That's why I told my kid to knock your kid in the expletive mouth."

"Just keep talking coach," said Calipari. "Just keep talking." After Chaney left, Calipari paused, said he wouldn't comment on the incident, asked the media not to question his players about it, and left the news conference.

UMass athletic director Bob Marcum was not at the news conference, but said he would speak to Atlantic 10 commissioner Ron Bertovich about the matter. The confrontation brought back memories of the 1991 UMass-Temple game at Curry Hicks Cage, during which Chaney and Calipari got into a shoving match at the scorer's table.