COLLEGE STATION, Tex.- Freshman guard Collins Joseph scored 20 points in his Savannah State debt but the Tigers would fall to Texas A&M 98-83 in a game played at Reed Arena.
 
The crowd of 6,757 saw Joseph play 19 minutes off the bench and make a game-high six 3-pointers and get four steals.
 
Joseph was one of four Savannah State players in double figures.
 
Zaquavian Smith and Jaquan Dotson each scored 13 points and Tyrell Harper chipped in 11 points. Romani Hansen added ten rebounds.
 
The Aggies opened the contest by scoring the first seven points but 3-pointers by Hansen and Collins pulled SSU within 9-6 at the 16:34 mark.
 
Savannah State (0-1) trailed by 13 but sliced their deficit to 35-27 following a 3-pointer by Amaru Bryant and a layup by Harper.
 
Free throws by A&M's Chris Collins put the Aggies ahead by ten but SSU answered with free throws from Dotson to whittle the deficit to single digits.
 
Brandon Mahan's 3-pointer with 5:51 remaining put A&M ahead 40-29 and the Aggies maintained a double digit advantage the remainder of the contest.
 
Mahan's basket started a 15-5 run by A&M which gave them a 52-34 lead.
 
Savannah State trailed 53-37 at the half.
 
The Tigers used a layup and two free throws by Smith and a 3-pointer by Jahlin Smith to pull within 57-44 with 17:56 left.
 
Down 69-47, Savannah State used a 10-0 run to close their gap to 69-57 with 11:18 showing.
 
Each time SSU would get within striking distance, the Aggies would pull away.
 
With 1:13 left, SSU was down by 22 but ran out of time, closing the game with seven unanswered points.
 
Opening the season with a tough opponent like A&M will help the Tigers in upcoming games.
 
"We are headed to Georgia and hopefully it is just an opportunity to get the jitters out. I know we couldn't keep them off the glass with their size, strength and skill set, but I think we could have cut some points off in the paint and on turnovers," said SSU coach Horace Broadnax.
 
SSU shot 32.9 percent from the field while Texas A&M shot 45.7 percent.
 
The Aggies (1-0) were led by Savion Flagg who had 24 points and 16 rebounds.
 
TIP INS:
*After missing most of last season due to an eye injury suffered in an auto accident, Jahlin Smith returned to action and had six points in 13 minutes of action
* Texas A&M won the rebounding battle 68 to 43.