East Texas A&M pulled off a historic 68-64 upset over Oklahoma in Monday's season opener, marking the second-largest point-spread upset in the last 30 years.
Stunning numbers
The Lions entered as 28.5-point underdogs, with a moneyline payout of just over 58-to-1. It was the program's first victory over a high-major opponent. East Texas A&M had been picked last in the Southland Conference preseason poll.
Oklahoma's struggles
The Sooners missed 15 free throws, finishing 17-for-32 (53%) from the line. Star point guard Xzayvier Brown sat out with a leg injury, but coach Porter Moser refused to use that as an excuse, citing 15 turnovers. Oklahoma led the nation in Quad 4 wins at 31-0 before the loss; they are now 31-1.
East Texas A&M's heroes
Bo Aldridge, a Hutchinson Community College transfer, led all scorers with 22 points and five assists. Freshman forward Mohamed Diakite added 15 points, seven rebounds, two assists, three steals, and a game-sealing dunk.
Aftermath
Moser apologized to fans and acknowledged the loss will linger until Selection Sunday. The defeat drops Oklahoma to -0.98 Wins Above Bubble, a metric used by the NCAA Tournament committee. The Sooners face Mississippi Valley State on Friday with a 99% win probability, but a victory would only raise their WAB to -0.97.
