MEMPHIS WOMEN’S BASKETBALL HISTORY FIRST ALL-AMERICAN Mary Sue Moody was named the program’s first All-American following the 192728 season. That team was also invited to the National AAU Girls Basketball Championship in Wichita, Kansas, Mar. 29-31.
COACHING CHANGE V Leo Lindsey retired after the 1927-28 season to get married and to start a family, wrapping up her career with a 32-8-1 record. Ethel Gentry Blackman, a former player at Middle Tennessee State Teachers, was named the girls athletic director, physical education teacher and basketball coach in 1929. Blackman’s first team went 8-1 with their lone loss being to a Margaret Wade-powered Delta State team.
ish 4-6. They were invited to the National AAU Tournament in Wichita, Kan., but Head Coach Ethel Blackman declined the invite because the team did not win the MVC Tournament.
a 35-year absence. Mary Lou Johns was named the head coach of the Lady Tiger program and began a 20-year reign of the program that put Memphis in the national spotlight.
NO FUNDING, NO DANCING
GAME ONE
The 1933-34 squad got back on track with a 14-2-2 record, losing to Lambuth in the finals of the MVC Tournament. Despite the loss, WTSTC was invited to the National Invitational Basketball Tournament, but was unable to go due to the lack of financial backing.
In the winter of 1972, the Lady Tigers took the court for the first time in over 35 years. Memphis recorded an 83-27 victory over Jackson State Community College, the first of 377 victories in Johns’ career. Memphis finished that season with a 17-6 record.
FIRST 20-WIN SEASON FIRST ALL-AMERICAN Mary Sue Moody was named the program’s first All-American following the 192728 season. That team was also invited to the National AAU Girls Basketball Championship in Wichita, Kansas, Mar. 29-31.
100 POINT GAME
NEW CONFERENCE FOES The Tigresses also gained some new conference foes in 1929, as Tennessee Polytechnical Institute, Middle Tennessee State Teachers College, and Freed-Hardeman Junior College are added to the Mississippi Valley Conference.
FIRST ALL-AMERICAN Mary Sue Moody was named the program’s first All-American following the 192728 season. That team was also invited to the National AAU Girls Basketball Championship in Wichita, Kansas, Mar. 29-31.
RULE CHANGE The women’s basketball game changed in 1930-31. The team played two-division ball with six players. The center was allowed to go to forward after the tip, so there were three forwards and three guards.
SLUMP The early 1930’s were not very good to the Tigresses, as the team suffered its first losing season since 1924-25 by finishing with a 4-8 record in 1931-32.
MORE RULE CHANGES Just two years after the last rule changes, the women’s game changed again. The court was now divided into two sections. Guards were now allowed to guard the entire court and were allowed to keep the forwards from shooting from behind the head. Also, all shots counted two points now. The Mississippi Valley Conference also gained a new member when Martin College of Pulaski, Tenn., was added.
DECLINING AN INVITATION TO DANCE The 1932-33 team got off to a school history worst 0-3 start, but rallied back to fin-
The 1973-74 season was the first 20-win season in the history of the program. The team finished with a 23-9 record. The following year, the team would set a new record for total wins by winning 29 games.
YET ANOTHER RUNNER-UP FINISH In 1934-35, WTSTC lost in the championship game of the MVC tournament, this time falling to Lambuth. The loss dropped WTSTC to 12-1 on the season.
THE ELMA ROANE ERA BEGINS AND AN ATHLETICS PROGRAM ENDS Elma Roane was an incoming freshman at WTSTC the year the women’s athletic programs were abolished. The women of West Tennessee State Teachers College would have to play intramural sports for the next 35 years, also forming teams to play in the Memphis Park Commission League. The teams played under the name Memphis State in the Park Commission League, but did not receive financial support or other recognition as there was no women’s athletic program.
COACH ROANE Elma Roane became the team’s coach in 1966-67 and the teams started to receive some funds to compete in limited extramural competition against other intercollegiate teams in the West Tennessee area. Roane expanded that area in 1966-67 to include Eastern Arkansas and Southwest Missouri areas. Jane Hooker was a member of this 1966-67 team.
TENNESSEE COLLEGE WOMEN’S SPORTS FOUNDATION The Tennessee College Women’s Sports Federation was formed in 1969. Memphis competed in some competition through the TCWSF under head coach Harriette Lavenue.
AND WE’RE BACK! The 1970s saw the return of women’s basketball to the Memphis campus after
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Memphis had its first 100-point game with a 114-49 win over Arkansas State. That same season, the Lady Tigers would defeat UT Chattanooga, 102-78.
FIRST TO 1,000 Terri Galloway became the first 1,000 point scorer in Memphis history in 1975. For her career (1973-1975), she finished with 1,046 points.
ALL-CONFERENCE HONOREES MISSISSIPPI VALLEY CONFERENCE
1927-28 Opehlia Gaulding Dot Wood Mary Sue Moody Mary Skinner 1928-29 Mattie Harpole Mary Skinner
1930-31 Marian Scrivener, First Team Floy Dickinson, Second Team 1933-34 Sammie Rushing Hazel Goodwin 1934-35 Hazel Goodwin Hazael Pegues 1935-36 Stella Schnupp, honorable mention Hazel Pegues, honorable mention Olga Distretti, honorable mention