Lady Raider Basketball Cruises by Charlotte, 64-37, to Open 2026-27 Campaign

Thursday, November 5

Lubbock, Texas

5 p.m.

Texas Tech Athletics

1-0,0-0Big 12

Charlotte

0-2,0-0American

Team	1	2	3	4	F
Charlotte	9	2	12	14	37
Texas Tech	22	10	17	15	64

Box Score (PDF)

Hooks directs traffic to set up an offensive play.

November 05, 2026 | Women's Basketball

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Hooks, Cole tally double-digits in season debuts

By: Aiden Kocol

LUBBOCK, Texas – The Lady Raider Basketball team opened the 2026-27 season in dominant fashion Thursday evening, cruising to a 64-37 victory over Charlotte inside the United Supermarkets Arena. With the 27-point win, head coach Krista Gerlich maintained her perfect record in season openers at the helm of the Lady Raiders.

Destinee Hooks paced the Lady Raider offense in its season debut, finishing with a game-high 16 points and seven rebounds. Defensively, Tech set the tone throughout the night, forcing 20 turnovers and limiting the 49ers to just 25.5 percent shooting from the floor.

The Lady Raiders also controlled the glass, outrebounding Charlotte 44-36, led by Stephanie Okechukwu, who pulled down 10 rebounds in her highly anticipated collegiate debut, while also adding three blocks to her stat sheet.

Hooks wasted little time getting the offense rolling, converting back-to-back layups to open the scoring for Tech. Consecutive 3-pointers from Jalayah Ingram and Martina Anyango helped fuel the Lady Raiders' early momentum, as Tech closed the opening quarter with a commanding 22-9 advantage.

The defensive intensity only increased in the second quarter. After allowing Charlotte just two points in the opening two minutes, Tech held the 49ers scoreless over the final eight minutes of the half. The Lady Raiders forced seven turnovers and collected nine defensive rebounds in the frame, taking a comfortable 32-11 lead into the locker room.

Hooks and Ingram led the way offensively in the opening half, recording nine points apiece. Ingram was particularly efficient, connecting on three of her four attempts from the floor while adding eight rebounds and four blocks by the final buzzer.

Coming out of the break, the Lady Raiders continued to build on their advantage despite a slower offensive start. Ambrosia "Bro Bro" Cole helped keep the scoreboard moving, knocking down five of her six free-throw attempts in the third quarter alone. The Lubbock native made an immediate impact in her collegiate debut, finishing with 12 points and a team-high four steals while shooting 8-for-10 from the charity stripe.

Jalynn Bristow also made her presence felt at the free-throw line, going a perfect 8-for-8 to establish career highs in both free throws made and attempted. The Lady Raiders' leading rebounder from a season ago continued her work on the glass, adding seven boards in the season opener.

Hooks put the finishing touch on the night with a 3-pointer, helping seal a convincing 64-37 victory as the Lady Raiders opened the 2026-27 campaign in dominating fashion.

UP NEXT
The Lady Raiders return to the United Supermarkets Arena on Monday, Nov. 9, welcoming Lamar for a 6 p.m. tipoff. Tech will look to carry its season-opening momentum into the matchup as it continues its pursuit of an undefeated record against the Cardinals.

Follow the Lady Raiders: Keep up with Texas Tech women's basketball news at TexasTech.com and at team's social media on Instagram, X and Facebook.

Lady Raider season tickets are still available for the 2026-27 season by visiting TexasTech.com/tickets. Or you can purchase single game tickets at TexasTech.com/WBBSINGLE.