COLLEGE STATION, Texas --- Senior guard Robert Hubbs wasn't his usual self. Freshman Jordan Bowden was only heard from every now and then. Sophomore Admiral Schofield and senior Lew Evans both battled foul trouble.

It didn't matter how many Vols were quiet on Thursday against Texas A&M. Tennessee's defense silenced both the Aggies and Reed Arena.

Detrick Mostella scored 13 points off the bench, freshman Grant Williams finished with 12 points and Lamonte Turner scored a team-high 14 as the young, undersized Vols pulled away Texas A&M in the second half for an 73-63 win to start SEC play.

DJ Hogg led Texas A&M (8-4, 0-1 SEC) with a game-high 21 points and Admon Gilder had 14.

Hubbs, the leading scorer this season for Tennessee (8-5, 1-0), finished with six points, nearly 10 points below his season average of 15.5. Sophomore Shembari Phillips scored 10 points.

A 12-0 Tennessee run midway through the second half built the Vols' advantage from 45-39 to 57-39 with 7:25 left in the game. The Aggies were never heard from again.

Hubbs made it a 10-point Tennessee lead with 10 minutes left with a layup. Kyle Alexander finished the next possession with a dunk and put the Vols up 12. Bowden later served up a dagger with a 3-pointer from the corner.

Tennessee led by 20 with 4:37 left.

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Tennessee’s defense held A&M to 31.3 percent (10 of 32) shooting from the field in the first half. The Aggies had 10 offensive rebounds, though, as neither team led by more than four points in the opening 20 minutes.

The first half saw seven tied scores and six lead changes.

Williams scored nine before half and Mostella had seven. The Vols led 26-22 with 8:43 left in the first half, but A&M came out of a timeout with a quick 5-0 run to retake the lead. Hogg scored 13 in the first half for the Aggies.

Tennessee is back at Thompson-Boling Arena on Tuesday for a 6:30 p.m. Eastern tip-off against Arkansas in an SEC home opener that will be broadcast on SEC Network.

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