Memphis Stifles Middle Tennessee, Claims First Win Over Blue Raiders Since 1999

Friday, November 6

Memphis, Tenn.

6 p.m.

University of Memphis

2-0,0-0American

Middle Tennessee

1-1,0-0CUSA

Team	1	2	3	4	F
Middle Tenn.	13	12	5	8	38
Memphis	12	13	12	10	47

Nov 06, 2026 | Women's Basketball

Box Score

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The University of Memphis women's basketball team used a dominant defensive performance in the second half to secure a 47-38 victory over Middle Tennessee Friday night inside Elma Roane Fieldhouse. The win marked the Tigers' first over the Blue Raiders since March 11, 1999, when Memphis claimed a 71-61 victory at home.

With the win, Memphis improved to 2-0 for the first time since the 2021-22 season, giving head coach Hana Haden her second consecutive victory to open her tenure with the Tigers.

Senior guard Daejah Richmond led the way for Memphis with a game-high 18 points on 8-of-16 shooting while adding five rebounds, three steals and two blocks. Fellow senior Anjanae Richardson chipped in 12 points and a career-high nine rebounds, surpassing her previous best of eight, which she had reached five times.

Destiny Thomas rounded out the double-digit scorers with 10 points and eight rebounds, while Ainaya Williams added eight boards of her own.

Memphis (2-0) struggled to find its offensive rhythm in the opening quarter, shooting just 23.5 percent from the field as Middle Tennessee (1-1) took a narrow 13-12 advantage after 10 minutes of action.
The Tigers responded in the second quarter, using a seven-point scoring run to regain control after trailing by as many as three. Memphis outscored the Blue Raiders 13-12 in the period, sending both teams into the halftime break deadlocked at 25.

Memphis came out of the locker room with renewed energy, leaning on its defense to take control of the contest. The Tigers held Middle Tennessee to just five points on 2-of-10 shooting in the third quarter while shooting 54.5 percent from the floor themselves.

Thomas provided a spark offensively, scoring six of Memphis' 12 third-quarter points on a perfect 3-of-3 shooting while pulling down three rebounds. The Tigers outscored the Blue Raiders 12-5 in the frame to carry a 37-30 advantage into the final 10 minutes.

The Memphis defense continued to shine down the stretch, limiting Middle Tennessee to just eight fourth-quarter points on 2-of-12 shooting. The Tigers extended their lead to as many as 11 points before closing out the 47-38 victory.

Despite connecting on just one of their 17 attempts from beyond the arc, the Tigers found a way to prevail. Memphis finished the night shooting 33.9 percent (20-of-59) from the field while holding Middle Tennessee to just 26.9 percent (14-of-52). The Tigers dominated the paint, outscoring the Blue Raiders 36-20, while holding a 41-38 advantage on the glass.

NOTABLES

Memphis improved to 2-0 for the first time since the 2021-22 season.
The victory marked Memphis' first win over Middle Tennessee since a 71-61 home victory on March 11, 1999.
Daejah Richmond led all scorers with 18 points on 8-of-16 shooting, adding five rebounds, three steals and two blocks.
Anjanae Richardson recorded 12 points and a career-high nine rebounds, surpassing her previous best of eight, which she had reached five times.
Destiny Thomas finished with 10 points and eight rebounds, scoring six points on perfect 3-of-3 shooting in the third quarter.
Richmond, Richardson and Thomas combined for 40 of Memphis' 47 points, accounting for 85.1 percent of the team's scoring.
Memphis held Middle Tennessee to just five third-quarter points on 2-of-10 shooting (20 percent).
The Tigers outscored the Blue Raiders 22-13 in the second half, limiting Middle Tennessee to 4-of-22 shooting (18.2 percent) over the final two quarters.
Memphis connected on just 1-of-17 attempts from three-point range (5.9 percent), its lowest three-point shooting percentage in a victory since going 0-of-8 in a 48-46 win over UCF in the first round of the 2023 American Conference Championship.
The victory marked the first time Memphis won a game while making one or fewer three-pointers since a 59-57 road win over Temple in January 2024, when the Tigers shot 1-of-13 from beyond the arc.
Memphis held a 36-20 advantage in points in the paint and outscored Middle Tennessee 16-11 in second-chance points.

UP NEXT

Memphis returns to Elma Roane Fieldhouse on Monday, Nov. 9, when the Tigers host Little Rock at 6 p.m. The contest will be streamed live on ESPN+.

Season tickets for the 2026-27 Memphis women's basketball season are on sale now and can be purchased here.

HOW TO FOLLOW THE TIGERS: For complete information on Memphis Tigers Basketball, visit www.GoTigersGo.com and follow the team's social media channels on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.