East Texas A&M Stuns Oklahoma in Historic Season-Opening Upset originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
East Texas A&M walked into Oklahoma’s home arena as a 28.5-point underdog. It left with a 68-64 win, the first victory in program history over a power-conference opponent and the second-largest point-spread upset in Division I men’s basketball over the past 30 years, according to ESPN Research.
The Lions’ breakthrough came in just their fifth season at the Division I level. They controlled much of Monday night’s game, built a 34-25 halftime lead and stretched their advantage to 16 early in the second half. Oklahoma rallied to tie the score at 60, but East Texas A&M answered with the plays that decided the opener.
The Lions Had an Answer When Oklahoma Made Its Run
Bo Aldridge put East Texas A&M back in front with a basket with 2:33 remaining. Mohamed Diakite followed with two free throws and a dunk, helping the Lions build a six-point cushion. Oklahoma pulled within 66-64, but East Texas A&M secured the final rebound and Aldridge made two free throws to finish the upset.
HISTORY FOR EAST TEXAS A&M ‼️ The 28.5-point underdog stuns Oklahoma for its first-ever win against a power conference opponent. It's the second-largest point-spread DI upset of the past 30 years 😮 https://t.co/FqGg18Lpui
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) November 3, 2026
Aldridge led all scorers with 22 points on 8-for-12 shooting, adding five assists and three 3-pointers. Alonzo Dodd also made his mark from beyond the arc, hitting five 3s on his way to 15 points. Diakite chipped in 15 points, seven rebounds and three steals.
The result marked East Texas A&M’s first win over a current SEC opponent. The Lions also opened their season with a Division I victory for the first time since moving up to the level.
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Oklahoma’s Slow Start Became the Story
The Sooners’ struggles began before halftime. Oklahoma made just one field goal over the final 6:53 of the first half and shot 29.6% from the field before the break. The Lions then opened the second half with three 3-pointers to push the lead to 16.
Oklahoma fought back behind Pop Isaacs and Derrion Reid, who scored 15 and 14 points, respectively. But the Sooners could not turn the comeback into a lead. They missed two free throws after tying the game late and had two chances to tie or go ahead in the final seconds.
Afterward, coach Porter Moser apologized to Oklahoma’s fans and said, “The things you do, in a game like this, in basketball, that get you beat, we did.” The Sooners will try to respond Friday against Mississippi Valley State. East Texas A&M heads to Rice on Thursday with a historic result already in hand.
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Source: Yahoo Sports









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