East Texas A&M head coach Jaret von Rosenberg and Co. shocked the basketball world on Monday with a stunning win over a Power Conference program, downing Oklahoma 68-64.
In what was a buy-in game for Oklahoma, the Sooners gave up their lead four minutes into the first half and were unable to reclaim it for the remainder of the game. There were a pair of occasions in the second half in which the Sooners knotted it up, but Rosenberg’s squad continuously battled and answered back.
“They picked up the
intensity,” Rosenberg said on the Sooners’ late push. “We knew they were going to make a run. They tied a bunch of times, but we had guys step up and make big plays down the stretch.”
Offensive prowess was not hard to come by for the Lions as junior Bo Aldridge led in scoring with 22 points in his NCAA Division I debut. The Topeka, Kansas, native previously played for Hutchinson Community College his freshman season, gaining First Team All-Conference honors with a 50% field goal percentage and shooting for 88% from the free-throw line. Aldridge continued to build upon his success to tip off his junior year shooting 8-for-12 and going 3-for-7 from the distance.
“They’re getting good looks,” Rosenberg said. “You got to attack; you can’t play on your heels. That’s what we made Oklahoma do in the first half, but obviously we had guys who made big-time plays, like with Bo.”
Rosenberg’s recruiting chops shone in this opening game with the performance from French national Mohamed Diakite. The 6-9 big proved to be efficient on the boards as he collected seven rebounds in his debut. Diakite’s ability to keep possession and extend plays was crucial to the success of the Lions.
“In those late-game situations, it’s usually not about the first shot, but the offensive rebound,” Rosenberg said. “They got one offensive rebound, but we had a great verticality contest, and then we got the rebound. It’s exciting because I don’t even think this is the best this team can play.”
With two other Power Conference schools on the horizon, UCLA on November 19 and Texas on December 29, Rosenberg and his crew will continue to have opportunities to build upon this historic victory and prepare for Southland play.
