SAVANNAH, Ga.- After starting the season on the road against SEC teams Texas A&M and Georgia, the Savannah State men's basketball team returned home with a 105-95 win against Middle Georgia State at Tiger Arena.
 
The crowd of 960 saw Jahlin Smith record a double-double for the Tigers with 15 points and a career-high 12 rebounds.
 
The non-conference win improved Savannah State to 1-2.
 
Middle Georgia opened the game with a pair of 3-pointers for a 6-0 lead but SSU roared back to tie the game at 13 and then take a 21-14 advantage with 12:31 left in the first half after a 3-pointer by Collins Joseph.
 
A layup by Zach Sellers gave Savannah State their largest lead of the game at 35-22 with 7:57 showing.
 
Down 43-33, the Knights used a 9-2 run to slice their deficit to 45-42 with 1:24 remaining but SSU answered with two free throws by Romani Hansen and a 3-pointer by Zaquavian Smith for a eight point lead.
 
Savannah State led 55-46 at the half.
 
Middle Georgia (3-1) began the second period with a 11-4 run to get within 59-57.
 
SSU led 86-76 with 8:28 left but the Knights rallied as Antony Edwards fueled a 13-2 run by scoring seven points to give Middle Georgia a 89-88 lead with 5:42 left.
 
With the scored tied at 91 with just under four minutes remaining, a 3-pointer by Joseph kick-starts a 12-2 SSU run that gives the home team a 103-93 lead. The Knights never recovered.
 
Joseph led all SSU scorers with 19 points. Zaquavian Smith had 17 points, Sellers scored 16 and Tyrell Haper added 11 points and eight rebounds for the Tigers.
 
Middle Georgia, who suffer their first lost of the season, was led by Edwards' game-high 27 points.
 
TIP INS:
 
* Savannah State and Middle Georgia both shot 42 percent from the field.
 
* The Tigers won the rebounding battle 59 to 46.
 
* SSU shot a season-best 82.1 percent from the free throw line, making 23 of 28 attempts
 
* Savannah State had a season-low four steals against MGC
 
* After three games, five SSU players are averaging in double figures in scoring