Freshman forward Grant Williams scored 12 points and blocked six shots, and Tennessee beat Texas A&M 73-63 Thursday in an impressive Southeastern Conference road win at Reed Arena in College Station, Texas.

Freshman guard Lamonte Turner added 14 points, and junior guard Detrick Mostella came off the bench to score 13 points, hitting three 3-pointers, for the Volunteers (8-5, 1-0 SEC).

After a tight, back-and-forth first half, the Volunteers came out of halftime with energy. Tennessee used a 15-6 run, capped by a Kyle Alexander dunk, to build a 52-39 lead, forcing Texas A&M to call timeout with 10 minutes left in the second half.

The Aggies went four minutes without scoring midway through the second half and watched as the Vols' lead ballooned 20. Admon Gilder's layup ended the scoring drought for Texas A&M (8-4, 1-0), but the Aggies never seriously threatened down the stretch.

Texas A&M turned up the pressure in the final five minutes and turned the Volunteers over on consecutive possessions. Another layup by Gilder cut the Tennessee lead to 65-53 with two minutes to play, but the Volunteers hit enough free throws down the stretch to secure the win.

Sophomore forward DJ Hogg led the Aggies with a game-high 21 points, and Gilder finished with 14 points. Sophomore center Tyler Davis, Texas A&M's leading scorer, was held to six points.

It was a complete performance for the Vols, who were picked to finish 13th in the 14-team SEC by the media in the preseason. They blocked nine shots, and, at one point in the second half, owned a 17-0 advantage in points off turnovers.

Both teams played challenging nonconference schedules. Texas A&M took losses against UCLA, USC and Arizona, while four of Tennessee's five defeats came against ranked teams.

It doesn't get any easier for the Aggies, who travel to No. 8 Kentucky on Tuesday.

The Volunteers, who won their second straight, return home to host Arkansas on Tuesday.