Geary Claxton stood hunched over, his hands resting on his knees after playing for 38 minutes. He just had a career night, dishing out a personal-best 27 points -- but you'd never be able to tell.

Claxton's face wasn't painted with smiles. He was stone-faced. His team had just fallen to Clemson at the Bryce Jordan Center -- and recording 27 points and nine rebounds served as no consolation.

"It don't mean nothing if you don't win," Claxton said.

Sure, Claxton accounted for nearly one-third of his team's offense and exactly half of its 12 offensive rebounds -- but that's not why Claxton was so upset.

As Claxton's night went, so went the team's. And when Claxton single-handedly accounted for six turnovers in the first half, the team followed suit by adding another eight of its own.

"Obviously you can make some baskets, but if you turn it over then you're limiting your opportunities," Penn State coach Ed DeChellis said. "Geary competed and scored and kept us in the thing ... [but] he turned it over a couple times early."

Claxton atoned for his early mistakes by not committing a single turnover in the second half. Again, the Nittany Lions played "Follow the Leader" by turning the rock over on only two separate occasions.

By then, though, it was too late. The game had already gotten out of hand; Penn State was down at halftime, 49-30.

Claxton rallied the Lions to a late run, transforming a 26-point deficit into an eight-point loss. The sophomore even chipped in another 13 points while playing every minute on the hardwood in the second half. Penn State actually ended up outscoring Clemson 58-47 in the second half.

"He's got great body control," Tigers coach Oliver Purnell said of Claxton. "He's a terrific player."

And while the game itself may not be worth remembering, Claxton's individual performance certainly was: He ignited the Lions' offense, caused fits for Clemson's defense -- and even energized the crowd.

Early in the game Claxton slammed down a pair of authoritative dunks, forcing the crowd to jump to its feet in applause and excitement. The two plays managed to effectively shift momentum to Penn State's side, albeit briefly.

The Lions went on two short runs following the two-handed throw downs -- 5-0 and 4-0, respectively.

Maybe it's no consolation to Claxton, posting a career-high and still losing. But DeChellis felt proud of how Claxton and his team played down the stretch.

"Guys didn't quit," he said. "Guys played hard until the end."

And for Claxton, the hard work equaled 27 points, a career high that wasn't enough to satisfy the sophomore in a losing effort.