East Texas A&M Upsets Oklahoma in Season Opener

East Texas A&M delivered a shocking 68-64 victory over Oklahoma on Monday night, marking the first win over a power conference team in the program's history. The Lions controlled most of the game and held on for the win despite being heavy underdogs.

Oklahoma entered the matchup as 28.5-point favorites, but the upset, according to ESPN, ranks as the second-largest in Division-I over the past three decades. Eastern Illinois holds the record after defeating Iowa as a 30.5-point underdog in 2022.

The Sooners struggled offensively, scoring just 25 points in the first half and hitting only one field goal in the final four minutes of the first quarter. East Texas A&M took control with a 16-point lead after Mohamed Diakite and Alonzo Dodd hit back-to-back 3-pointers in the second half.

Oklahoma mounted a late comeback, cutting the deficit to a two-possession game with 25 seconds remaining after an and-one layup by Pop Isaacs. However, Tyler Hendricks missed a potential game-tying 3-pointer, and Bo Aldrich sealed the win with two free throws in the final seconds.

Aldrich led the Lions with 22 points, shooting 8-of-12 from the field, while the team made 11-of-27 three-pointers. Oklahoma's shooting was poor, making just 5-of-20 from beyond the arc. Isaacs led the Sooners with 15 points, and Derrion Reid added 14, the only two Oklahoma players to reach double figures.

East Texas A&M, in its sixth season, has never had a winning record and went 13-20 in each of the past two seasons. They were selected to finish last in the Southland preseason poll. Meanwhile, Porter Moser, in his sixth season at Oklahoma, faces mounting pressure after the team's season-opening loss.