East Texas A&M Stuns Oklahoma 68-64 for Second-Largest Spread Upset in 30 Years

East Texas A&M beat Oklahoma 68-64 on Monday night at Lloyd Noble Center in Norman. It was the season opener for both teams, and it ended as the second-largest Division I upset by point spread in the last 30 years, according to ESPN Research.

The Lions were 28.5-point underdogs. They led 34-25 at halftime, pushed the lead to 16 points early in the second half, and held on when Oklahoma tied the game twice late. Bo Aldridge scored 22 points on 8-for-12 shooting for East Texas A&M and made two free throws with three seconds left to seal the win.

How the Lions took control

East Texas A&M never trailed after taking a 13-12 lead with 12:59 left before halftime. The Lions scored 34 points in each half. Oklahoma scored 25 in the first half and 39 in the second, but the early gap stayed in place for most of the night.

Mohamed Diakite and Alonzo Dodd each scored 15 points for the Lions.

Oklahoma trailed by as many as 16 points, at the 17:23 mark of the second half. The Sooners cut into the lead from there, but they never got in front again.

The late ties that changed nothing

Pop Isaacs scored 15 points for Oklahoma. Derrion Reid scored 14 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. Reid tied the game at 58-58 with a layup at the 4:55 mark.

Oklahoma tied the game again at 60-all, the second tie coming with 2:51 remaining. East Texas A&M still answered. In the closing seconds, Reid had a midrange shot rim out with a chance to tie, and Aldridge then closed the game at the free throw line with three seconds left.

The numbers explain why the comeback fell short. Oklahoma shot 40 percent from the field and made only eight field goals in the first half, at 29.6 percent. The Sooners committed 15 turnovers. At the free throw line they finished 17 of 32 and missed 15 free throws, misses that mattered in a four-point game.

Streaks end in Norman

Before Monday, Oklahoma had won 22 of its past 23 season openers. The Sooners had also won 30 consecutive non-conference games at home. Both streaks ended with this loss.

For East Texas A&M, the win was a program first in two ways. It was the Lions' first win against an active SEC opponent and a Power Four program. It was also their first win in the three-game series with Oklahoma. The Sooners won the previous meetings, 84-56 on November 21, 2024, and 87-59 on December 1, 1970.

East Texas A&M finished 11-21 last season, which puts the size of this result in plain terms. A team with that record walked into Norman, led for the full second half in effect, and beat a 28.5-point favorite on its home court.

Oklahoma played without point guard Xzayvier Brown. The Oklahoman reported he bruised his knee in practice and was ruled out before the game. Other reports described it as a lower-body injury.

Oklahoma next hosts Mississippi Valley State on Friday, November 6, 2026. For the Sooners, the opener now becomes a test of response. For East Texas A&M, it is a win the program can point to for a long time: a first win over an SEC opponent, earned on the road, with the lead held from the first half to the final free throws.