Geary Claxton wasn't the same player that the Bryce Jordan is accustomed to seeing. He didn't execute a crossover dribble Saturday or streak through the lane to throw down an aerial extravaganza with the right hand.

His right, shooting hand was bandaged with brown wrap that held padding to his injured pinkie. Claxton had trouble catching some passes, flailing his left hand with the healing right hand left behind, and his only field goal was a meek floater that resulted in a goaltending call against Saint Joseph's.

But when he would enter the game, or leave it, the crowd roared for the player they had missed dearly. The only play that topped the cheers for sophomore guard Danny Morrissey winning three-pointer were those for Claxton's rejection on Hawk forward Ahmad Nivins with less than two seconds remaining.

That was high impact for someone who played 19 minutes on 1-for-4 shooting, six points, four turnovers and that one block.

"I'm not just trying to rush into things right now," Claxton said. "I'm just trying to get in a flow of playing right now and just getting my wind back, you know, and letting my teammates help me out. Everybody is playing together, and if everybody plays together we'll win."

There was no pain in his hand after the block or after the game when Penn State's team doctor, Wayne Sebastianelli, gave Claxton the go for the Georgia Tech game tomorrow. Claxton, who broke a bone in his right pinkie in an exhibition versus Edinboro, wasn't expected back by head coach Ed DeChellis until early December.

While he might have not been the leading scorer and rebounder that everyone had grown fond of, Claxton made his play on that block and adds another athletic 6-foot-5 body to toy around with on a limited basis.

"He has a hard time catchin' and he has a hard time shootin' the ball," DeChellis said. "It's just nice to see him out there, knock the rust off."

St. Joe's head coach Phil Martelli would contend that sophomore forward Jamelle Cornley helped out a little too much on Claxton's block. The coach fumed after the game that Cornley made that shot a little bit easier to block by holding Nivins down.

Cornley dismissed that point with a "According to who?" and a "Oh well, it's over now." He's just happy to have his boy "G" back on the floor.

"He just creates havoc for the opposing team," Cornley said. "I love playing with him and just glad to see that he's back. I know he's limited right now and I know that it's going to take some time for him to get back into the flow of things but it's just good to see him on the court and I think this is what captains and leaders are all about."

When Penn State was down 62-52 with five minutes remaining, it was Claxton who hit two free throws to close the gap to single digits.

Cornley noted that Claxton shot better from the free throw line (4-for-6) than himself (3-for-10) with bandages on his hand.

"You know, I just try to do what my team needs me to," Claxton said. "I don't try and think about what I can't do right now, but like I said, it's just going to take some time to get back to the player that I am."