By Don Mooney
Lady Tigers Coach Hana Haden gets her first win in season opener against cross-town rival LeMoyne-Owen College. photo by Don Mooney
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The University of Memphis women’s basketball team opened its 2026-27 campaign in dominant fashion Monday night, cruising to a 78-42 victory over LeMoyne-Owen College inside Elma Roane Fieldhouse. The win marked the first at Memphis for head coach Hana Haden.
photo by Don Mooney
Senior guard Anjanae Richardson led the way for the Tigers, tying her career-high with 23 points on an efficient 9-of-12 shooting while adding six rebounds and three steals. Fellow senior Daejah Richmond stuffed the stat sheet with 14 points, nine rebounds and a career-high eight steals.
Tierney Kelsey provided a spark off the bench with 16 points on 6-of-10 shooting, including a pair of three-pointers, while Destiny Thomas rounded out the double-digit scorers with 10 points and six rebounds.
photo by Don Mooney
Memphis (1-0) came out firing in the opening quarter, shooting 63.6 percent from the field to build a 20-15 advantage after 10 minutes of action.
The Tigers continued to apply pressure in the second quarter, using a 15-point scoring run to take control of the contest. Memphis outscored LeMoyne-Owen 19-12 in the period to carry a 39-27 lead into the halftime break.
photo by Don Mooney
Memphis kept its foot on the gas coming out of the locker room, shooting 60 percent from the floor in the third quarter while holding the Magicians to just nine points. The Tigers extended their advantage to 59-36 heading into the final frame.
The Memphis defense continued to dominate down the stretch, limiting LeMoyne-Owen to just six fourth-quarter points on 2-of-17 shooting. The Tigers pushed their lead to as many as 40 points before closing out the 78-42 season-opening victory.
In her 2nd year at the helm for LeMoyne-Owen Magicians Kimberly Anderson dishing out instructions. photo by Don Mooney
Memphis finished the night shooting 53.7 percent (29-of-54) from the field while holding LeMoyne-Owen to just 23.1 percent (15-of-65). The Tigers dominated the paint, outscoring the Magicians 46-22, while holding a 26-6 advantage in fast-break points.