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East Texas A&M stunned Oklahoma 68-64 in a historic season-opening upset, handing Sooners coach Porter Moser a damaging loss with lasting NCAA tournament implications. Oklahoma’s poor shooting at the free-throw line and 15 turnovers compounded the problem, while East Texas A&M led by as many as 16 and controlled long stretches. Moser apologized to fans, saying the team’s mistakes—not the absence of injured point guard Xzayvier Brown—cost it the game.

By the Numbers
  • Oklahoma was a 28.5-point favorite; the upset was the second-largest by point spread in 30 years.
  • An outright East Texas A&M win paid just over 58-to-1.
  • Oklahoma made 17 of 32 free throws (53%) and committed 15 turnovers.
  • East Texas A&M’s Bo Aldridge scored 22 points and had 5 assists; Mohamed Diakite added 15 points and 7 rebounds.
  • Oklahoma’s loss dropped its Wins Above Bubble rating to -0.98.
Yes, But

Brown’s leg injury weakened Oklahoma, but Moser said it did not excuse the performance. The defeat also wasn’t a fluke: East Texas A&M built a 16-point second-half lead and outplayed the Sooners for extended stretches.

State of Play
  • East Texas A&M earned the first win over a high-major opponent in program history, despite being picked last in the Southland Conference preseason poll.
  • Oklahoma had been 31-0 in Quad 4 games under Moser before Monday’s loss.
  • The Sooners have reached the NCAA tournament once in Moser’s first five seasons.
What’s Next

Oklahoma hosts Mississippi Valley State on Friday, with metrics giving the Sooners a 99% chance to win. A victory would barely improve their résumé rating, leaving Moser’s team a long climb to repair the damage before Selection Sunday.

Bottom Line

This wasn’t just a bad opening-night result: Oklahoma’s first loss to a low-major opponent under Moser puts its tournament hopes under pressure before the season has even found its rhythm.