Box Score RICHMOND, Ky.- The Savannah State 2014-15 basketball season got off to a rough start as the Tigers suffered a 76-53 road loss to Eastern Kentucky.
 
The crowd of 3,950 in McBrayer Arena saw the Tigers cut a 13-point deficit to 36-33 early in the second half, after a dunk by sophomore Saadiq Muhammad.
 
EKU answered with a 19-5 run that gave the Colonels a 55-38 edge with 8:39 remaining.
 
The Tigers deficit grew to 21 with 4:45 on the clock and they could only get as close as 17 the rest of the way.
 
Eastern Kentucky scored the final six points of the contest.
 
Savannah State shot 47.7 percent from the floor but were cold from the charity line, making just 9 of 20 attempts.
 
The Tigers didn't help their cause by making 33 turnovers.
 
Muhammad, who has established himself as the team go-to man, led the way for SSU with 13 points and 9 rebounds. Junior college transfer Brian Pearson had a impressive debut in a Tiger uniform with 10 points and 6 rebounds. Demarcus Bryant made a pair of 3-pointers and finished with eight points for SSU.
 
SSU out-rebounded the Colonels 38 to 31.
 
EKU (1-0) jumped out to an early 9-2 advantage.
 
The Tigers were down 25-17 but used a layup by Terel Hall, two free throws from Khalen Pinkett and a tip-in by Alante Fenner to pull within two with 4:10 left in the first half.
 
Eastern Kentucky responded with a 11-0 run to push their advantage to 36-23 with 1:52 left.
 
SSU finished the period with a dunk by Muhammad and a tip-in from Pearson to go into intermission down 36-27.
 
The Tigers (0-1) held EKU without a field goal in the second half until the 12:33 mark after a layup by Corey Walden.
 
Prior to Walden's layup, SSU's Keierre Richards made it a 38-35 game with a pair of free throws.
 
Walden led four Colonels in double figures with a game-high 20 points.
 
EKU, the defending Ohio Valley Conference champions, shot 39.7 percent from the field but shot 19.2 percent from 3-point range.