Yardbarker
x
Pair of SEC teams lose their season openers with late collapses
UCF Knights head coach Johnny Dawkins. Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Pair of SEC teams lose their season openers with late collapses

By Austen Bundy  |  Last updated Nov 4, 2024 10:37 PM ET

College basketball season tipped off Monday night and the start of new season means upsets are inevitable. In fact, two SEC programs fell to inferior opponents right off the tip.

The first ranked team to stumble this year was No. 13 Texas A&M which gave up a seven-point lead to unranked UCF.

The Aggies went scoreless over the final two minutes of the game while the Knights put up 10 unanswered points for the 64-61 win, prompting the students to rush the court in Orlando.

It was a huge blow to open Texas A&M's season, which has high hopes of challenging for the SEC title.

UCF earned an early marquee win for it and the Big 12 conference's NCAA tournament resume.

The Aggies weren't the only SEC team to fall on Monday. Up the east coast, South Carolina lost to North Florida, 74-71.

The Gamecocks led for all but the final 83 seconds of the second half, dropping their first ever season-opener under head coach Lamont Paris.

A rough start for the conference that saw nine programs qualify for the NCAA tournament last season.

Austen Bundy
Twitter/X

Austen Bundy is a journalist and sports junkie from the Washington, D. C. area

More must-reads:

Customize Your Newsletter

Yardbarker +

Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.