CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The Lady Railsplitters' (3-1, 2-0 SAC) revitalized and high-powered offensive attack has been the central storyline early in the season, but it was a suffocating defensive effort that led Lincoln Memorial to a 52-41 win over the Queens Royals (0-4, 0-2 SAC) in South Atlantic Conference action on Saturday in Charlotte, N.C.
 
The Lady Railsplitters entered Saturday's contest ranked first in the league in points per game (82.0) and second in overall field goal percentage (45.3 percent), but they never quite found their rhythm on the offensive side of the floor, finishing shooting 31 percent from the floor with an 18-for-58 clip and 48.4 percent from the charity stripe with a 15-for-31 mark. LMU also turned the ball over 21 times which were converted into 12 points by the Royals.
 
That offensive drought proved inconsequential as the Lady Railsplitters locked down the Royals with an absolutely dominant defensive effort. Lincoln Memorial limited Queens to a 12-for-48 mark (25 percent) from the field and a 2-for-14 effort (14.3 percent) from beyond the three-point arc. Most of Queens' possessions were ended after one shot as the Lady Railsplitters relinquished only six offensive rebounds and four second-chance points.
 
The Lady Railsplitters slayed the Royals on the glass, outrebounding the home squad by a commanding 69-28 margin, shattering the school's single-game record for rebounds in the process. The previous program record of 63 was set against Warren Wilson exactly 29 years to the day, on November 22, 1985. Prior to this season, Lincoln Memorial had not recorded more than 60 rebounds in a single game since the 2002-03 campaign. The Lady Railsplitters have already accomplished that feat twice this season.
 
Stephanie Smith (La Vergne, Tenn.) logged 23 ultra-efficient minutes for the Lady Railsplitters, notching her second double-double of the season with a game-high 19 points and 12 rebounds. Smith went 8-for-17 from the field while adding a pair of blocks. Megan Pittman (Liberty, Ky.) just missed out on her second double-double, instead settling for nine points and a game-leading 14 rebounds. Aisjah Lee (Louisville, Ky.) contributed six points of the bench, while Katrina Ottesen (Chandler, Ariz.) and Ross Mathis (Greer, S.C.) pitched in four points apiece.
 
The Lady Railsplitters corralled 35 offensive rebounds and turned those into 18 second-chance points, while also dominating the play in the paint, outscoring the Royals 30-10 inside of the square.
 
Both teams struggled mightily on the offensive end in the first half, as the two squads combined for only 11 field goals in 20 minutes of action. The Lady Railsplitters went 6-for-24 (25 percent), while the Royals were 5-for-23 (21.3 percent) over that span. A jumper by Shea Coker (Knoxville, Tenn.) at the 10:58 mark pushed LMU in front 12-4, but Queens countered with a 14-1 run over the next 10 minutes to assume an 18-13 edge. The Lady Railsplitters ended a more than eight minute stretch without a field goal at the 2:39 mark on a Josey Harding (Middletown, Ohio) layup, which pushed the women in Blue and Gray back in front 21-20. One LMU free throw and two Queens freebies sent the two teams into the break tied at 22-22.
 
The Lady Railsplitters opened up the second half on a 9-2 run, capped with a layup by Smith, to assume a 31-24 edge. Queens trimmed the deficit back to 35-29 at the 13:27 mark on a Lacey Singletary jumper, but Lincoln Memorial ripped off a 9-0 run to bulge its cushion to 44-29 with 10:08 to play. Smith scored seven of the team's nine points over that flurry. The Lady Railsplitters never led by less than 11 the rest of the way, building as large as a 16 point edge late in regulation.
 
Lincoln Memorial limited the Royals to a 7-for-25 clip in the second stanza with an 0-for-7 effort from long range. Queens had as many turnovers (7) as they did field goals over the final 20 minutes of action.
 
Nobody scored more than 10 points in the contest for Queens as Abby Pettit and Sheridan Pressley led the Royals with nine points apiece. Lacey Singletary added eight points and four blocks, while Carmen Richardson chipped in six points and a team-high six rebounds in 24 minutes of work.
 
With the win, the Lady Railsplitters have started 2-0 in South Atlantic Conference play for the second consecutive year after failing to accomplish that feat in any of their first seven seasons in the league.
 
The Lady Railsplitters wrap up their road-heavy start to the 2014-15 campaign on Tuesday, November 25, traveling to the Palmetto State for a South Atlantic Conference clash with the Anderson Trojans. Tip-off in that contest is scheduled for 6 p.m. in Anderson, S.C.