The men's basketball team's starting guards are good. Point guard Freddie Barnes is a tremendous penetrator with 3-point range and shooting guard Monroe Brown is the Lions' defensive specialist.

But neither of Penn State's starting guards can bring the house down like third guard Michael Jennings did Saturday afternoon at Rec Hall.

With just over two minutes left in first half of the Lions' game with St. Joseph's, Jennings picked up a loose ball at midcourt after Brown saved it from going out of bounds.

Jennings had backup forward Jon Dietz just ahead of him on the right for an easy 2-on-none breakaway layup. But Dietz had a better chance of getting the ball if he doubled back and tried to steal it from his teammate. Because when the ball touched Jennings hands a buzz of anticipation came over the crowd of 5,713.

That buzz turned into a roar that nearly tore the roof off the ancient building when Jennings finished the break with a two-handed slam.

"That's my job on offense, to come in and get my team and the crowd into it," Jennings said. "That's my game, it just comes natural."

The dunk concluded a 9-0 Penn State run -- one in which Jennings had eight points -- that turned a 26-23 deficit into a six-point Penn State advantage. The sophomore from Severna Park, Md. finished with a career-high 14 points in the 84-68 win.

Jennings dazzled the crowd again near the end of the game with a perfect behind-the-back pass to a breaking Lem Joyner.

"There wasn't much time left," Jennings said. "You can do crazy things when you're up by 20. I just saw Lem there so I faked one way and threw it behind my back."

Jennings came into the game hitting just 39.4 percent from the field and 61.5 percent from the free-throw line. But Saturday he was nearly perfect, hitting 5-of-6 field goals (1-of-2 3-pointers) and all three foul shots. Coach Bruce Parkhill called it his most consistent offensive game as a Lion. But Jennings was modest about his performance.

"I know I scored a lot of points today but I don't think that was a big factor," he said Saturday. "I think the factor was getting myself in the game and getting my team in the game."

That attitude is the difference between the Jennings of last year and the one this season.

Nicknamed Q-Tip because of his big hair and slender body, Jennings came to campus -- as any freshman does --looking to make a name for himself. He was a run-and-gun style player from the suburbs of Washington D.C. who had built a reputation as a player not afraid to put the ball up or go to the basket.

As a freshman, Jennings' game was no less than exciting and sometimes dazzling. He averaged three points in his 10 minutes per game as the Lions first guard off the bench.

"I was in such a rush to show people what I could do and the coaches what I could do," Jennings said.

But this year a more mature Jennings came back to campus. The Q-Tip look was gone. His head was shaved and although still thin he was stronger from lifting weights.

"I just wanted something new," Jennings said of the hair. "I guess hair like that was high-school time. I just needed something new, so I got it cut. It is growing back but it will never get that high again.

"I've gotten older and I've gotten stronger. Those things have definitely helped my game."

With the hair cut and the age came a different Jennings on the court. This one concentrated on defense and didn't put up the ill-advised shot. Some would call him a team player; he was averaging 1.1 points a game.

But in the first part of the season, although he felt like a better player, Jennings lacked the dazzle that he was known for.

"Michael was real aggressive last year and I think he may have backed off too much this year," Parkhill said. "Almost trying too hard to think while he was on the floor instead of reacting and being aggressive. So I'm hoping he is a little more aggressive now, much like he was last year."

Parkhill believes Jennings and the rest of the Lions' bench will be a key down the stretch. Saturday's performance was definitely a good start.

"There's a time for flash and a time for basketball concept," Jennings said. "I guess in my case there's more time for flash . . . I feel more comfortable now and I think the coaches have more confidence in me and the rest of the guys coming off the bench."