East Texas A&M didn’t just ride the high from Monday night in Norman. It backed it up.
Four days after shocking Oklahoma 68-64, the Lions went back on the road and pulled out a 72-71 win over Rice on Thursday night at Tudor Fieldhouse in Houston. The result pushed East Texas A&M to 2-0 and gave the Southland Conference program another road victory over a team from a stronger league.
The Oklahoma upset grabbed the headlines, and for good reason. But the Rice game may say even more about what this team is becoming.
East Texas A&M led 37-32 at halftime, then had to hang on late as Rice kept pushing. The Owls had three chances to take the lead in the final 13 seconds, but none of those attempts went down, and the Lions escaped by a single point.
That finish was tight, but the Lions had spent much of the night building their edge the hard way. They controlled the boards, outrebounding Rice 54-41 and grabbing 21 offensive rebounds. Those extra chances mattered because East Texas A&M did not shoot it especially well, finishing at 35.8% from the field.
Even so, the Lions found enough offense to stay ahead. They hit 10 shots from beyond the arc and kept creating second chances to offset the cold stretches.
Mohamed Diakite led the way with 23 points, six rebounds and three assists, going 9-for-17 from the floor. Bo Aldridge added 16 points.
The numbers tell the story of a team that didn’t need everything to be pretty in order to win. East Texas A&M manufactured possessions, fought through a shaky shooting night and survived a late surge.
That matters because one huge upset can always be dismissed as a one-night burst. Two road wins in four days start to look different.
Rice came in after winning its opener and gave the Lions a real test, especially with East Texas A&M dealing with the pressure that comes after suddenly becoming one of the early talking points in college basketball. The Lions weren’t flawless, and the closing minutes were uncomfortable, but they still found a way.
Now they’ve got wins over Oklahoma and Rice before their first home game. Their next scheduled matchup is Wednesday against Fairleigh Dickinson.
The first week has already changed the way East Texas A&M is being viewed. The Oklahoma win made the noise. The Rice win suggests there may be more here than a single stunning upset.
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