East Texas A&M Defeats Oklahoma 68-64 to Start Season
The Lions capped a historic upset over the 28.5-point favorites with a late free throw by Bo Aldridge.
By Madison Lewis ·
East Texas A&M defeated Oklahoma 68-64 on Monday night in Norman, securing a season-opening victory for both programs and delivering the second-largest margin-of-upset in Division I history over the past three decades.
The Lions entered the game as 28.5-point underdogs. According to ESPN Research, only Eastern Illinois has recorded a larger spread upset since 2022, when they defeated Iowa as 30.5-point underdogs. This result marks the first time East Texas A&M has won a game against Oklahoma, ending a series that previously saw the Sooners win 84-56 in 2024 and 87-59 in 1970.
Bo Aldridge led the Lions with 22 points on 8-for-12 shooting. Mohamed Diakite and Alonzo Dodd each added 15 points. East Texas A&M established a 13-12 lead with 12:59 remaining before halftime and did not trail for the rest of the contest.
Oklahoma’s Pop Isaacs scored 15 points, while Derrion Reid contributed 14 points and 10 rebounds. The Sooners tied the score at 58 and again at 60 with 2:51 left on the clock. However, they failed to take the lead in the final seconds. Aldridge made two free throws with three seconds remaining to secure the win for East Texas A&M.
Xzayvier Brown missed the game due to a lower-body injury. The Sooners entered the contest with five players who have appeared in at least 100 games, a team-high number in the SEC. Oklahoma had won 22 of its last 23 season openers and held a streak of 30 consecutive non-conference victories at Lloyd Noble Center.
