East Texas A&M pulled off one of the largest point-spread upsets in the last 30 years, defeating Oklahoma 68-64 in Monday's season opener. The Lions, a 28.5-point underdog, won outright at odds of just over 58-to-1, marking the program's first victory over a high-major opponent.
Oklahoma missed 15 free throws, finishing 17-for-32 (53%) from the line. The Sooners turned the ball over 15 times and trailed by 16 points in the second half. Coach Porter Moser apologized to fans afterward, saying, "The things you do in a game like this in basketball that gets you beat, we did."
East Texas A&M, picked last in the Southland Conference preseason poll, was led by Hutchinson Community College transfer Bo Aldridge with a game-high 22 points and five assists. French freshman forward Mohamed Diakite added 15 points, seven rebounds, two assists, three steals, and the game-sealing dunk.
The loss drops Oklahoma to -0.98 Wins Above Bubble (WAB), a metric used by the NCAA Tournament seeding committee. The Sooners, who were 31-0 in Quad 4 games under Moser entering the night, now face a long climb to repair their tournament resume. Star point guard Xzayvier Brown missed the game with a leg injury.
East Texas A&M, located in Commerce, Texas, about 66 miles northeast of Dallas, competes in the Southland Conference. The university, part of the Texas A&M System, had 11,500 students as of 2023 and won the 2017 NCAA Division II football national championship.
