68-64: East Texas A&M Stuns Oklahoma in 30.5-Point Upset

East Texas A&M defeated Oklahoma 68 to 64 on Monday night, capping a game that began with the Lions listed as 30 1/2 point underdogs. The result stands as the largest upset by point spread in Division I men's basketball since December 2022. That previous record was set when Eastern Illinois defeated Iowa by a similar margin.

The two teams have met three times previously. Oklahoma held a 2-0 lead in the series, winning 84-56 on November 21, 2024, and 87-59 on December 1, 1970. Monday night marked the first time the Lions from Commerce, located about an hour east of Dallas, came away with the win. The program, which joined the Southland Conference in 2022 after years in Division II, finished near the bottom of its league the last two seasons.

Bo Aldridge led the East Texas A&M offense with 22 points, shooting 8-for-12 from the floor. Mohamed Diakite and Alonzo Dodd each added 15 points for the Lions. The team took a 13-12 lead with 12:59 remaining in the first half. They never trailed after that moment, building a cushion that forced Oklahoma to chase the score for the rest of the contest.

Oklahoma coach Porter Moser noted that his team committed 15 turnovers and missed 15 free throws. The Sooners also allowed opponents to shoot plus-18 from the three-point line. Pop Isaacs scored 15 points for Oklahoma, while Derrion Reid contributed 14 points and 10 rebounds. The Sooners entered the season with a 30-game nonconference winning streak at Lloyd Noble Center and had won 22 of their last 23 season openers.

The game tightened in the final minutes. Oklahoma tied the score at 58 and again at 60 with 2:51 left on the clock. The Sooners never took the lead, however. Aldridge made two free throws with three seconds remaining to secure the final margin.

Coach Jaret von Rosenberg, who has led the program since 2017, said the win validates his earlier encouragement for fans to get excited. Nine of the 15 players on the Lions roster are freshmen. The team will look to build on this momentum as it continues the 2026-27 season. Oklahoma, which had five players with over 100 career games, will prepare for its next conference opponent.

The victory ends a long drought for the Lions against top-tier competition. It also provides a tangible win for a program that has undergone recent structural changes. The scoreboard in Dallas County and beyond now reflects a new reality for the East Texas A&M basketball program.