HARROGATE, Tenn. -- The Lady Railsplitters (6-2, 3-1 SAC) paired an utterly dominant rebounding effort with a suffocation defensive performance to rout the visiting Coker Cobras (2-5, 1-3 SAC) 69-48 in South Atlantic Conference women's basketball action on Saturday afternoon at Tex Turner Arena. Lincoln Memorial won its third straight game to match the program's best start since the 2006-07 squad opened at 6-2.
 
On what was a relatively sub-par offensive outing, the Lady Railsplitters leaned on their defense and rebounding to pace their largest margin of victory since defeating Brevard 87-59 on February 19, 2014. Lincoln Memorial, who entered the contest leading the nation in rebounding margin, slayed the Cobras on the boards 57-23. The Lady Railsplitters grabbed more offensive rebounds, 26, than Coker did total rebounds. That relentless pursuit on the offensive glass helped the Lady Railsplitters amass a 21-0 advantage on second-chance points, which equaled the final margin separating the two teams on the scoreboard.
 
The Lady Railsplitters were proficient before the rebound became available, limiting the Cobras to just a 20-for-56 mark (35.7 percent) from the field with a dismal 3-for-18 effort from behind the three-point arc. The Lady Railsplitters did not allow an offensive rebound until Priscilla Fenty finally grabbed one with 16:12 remaining in regulation.
 
It was another balanced effort by the Lady Railsplitters offensively, as 11 of the 12 players to appear in the contest registered at least one field goal. Megan Pittman (Liberty, Ky.) paced the home unit with 12 points and seven rebounds. Pittman struggled from the field though, needing 15 shots to accumulate those 12 points. Josey Harding (Middletown, Ohio) energized the Lady Railsplitters off the bench by matching a career high with 11 points and eight rebounds in just 18 minutes. Kortnay Cox (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) added 10 points, five assists and a team-leading nine rebounds in 31 minutes. Kiara Rawls (Killeen, Texas) contributed nine points and four rebounds, while Lakeisha Beasley (College Park, Ga.) posted seven points and eight rebounds in 13 ultra-productive minutes off the bench.
 
The Lady Railsplitters finished shooting 42.9 percent in the contest, knocking down 30 of their 70 attempts. For the first time since November 19, Lincoln Memorial committed fewer than 20 turnovers in a game, giving away possession only 17 times. LMU also logged a 42-26 scoring advantage in the paint.
 
Early on, both teams struggled mightily to find any semblance of offensive production. Coker didn't get its first field goal until the 14:50 mark, but the Lady Railsplitters were just 3-for-11 over that same span. The Lady Railsplitters and Cobras combined for just a 7-for-26 clip by the second media timeout, with Lincoln Memorial holding a slim 8-7 lead. The home unit continued to hold a slight edge, leading 12-10 after a Kim Manning free throw at 9:10, but the Lady Railsplitters hit their stride offensively over the final 8:43 of the half. LMU canned eight of its final 16 shot attempts to pace a 20-10 run, which sent the Lady Railsplitters into the break with a 32-20 cushion.
 
The Lady Railsplitters outrebounded the Cobras 37-8 in the first half alone, pulling down 18 offensive boards which led to 16 second chance opportunities.
 
A Fenty layup and a Hailey Yohn free throw in the opening minute of the second half cut Coker's deficit to 32-23, but the Lady Railsplitters answered with an 8-0 flurry to assume their largest lead of the game at 40-23. The Cobras were never really able to dig itself out of that hole, and Lincoln Memorial only made it deeper with an 11-0 run from the 7:42-4:40 mark. Five different players scored for the Lady Railsplitters over that stretch as they went 5-for-7 from the field and turned the Cobras over twice. By the time Fenty ended the run with a layup at 4:30, Lincoln Memorial had built a 62-40 lead. The Lady Railsplitters never led by less than 20 for the remainder of the contest.
 
The win dissolved a streak of three consecutive losses to the Cobras to begin the all-time series. Previously, the Lady Railsplitters suffered a 55-58 loss in Tex Turner Arena last season and a 59-61 overtime defeat during the opening weekend of the 2012-13 campaign.
 
Priscilla Fenty was the lone Cobra to record double figures in the contest as she notched 14 points on 7-of-13 shooting in 29 minutes off the bench. She also paced Coker with six rebounds. Kim Manning chipped in with six points, while Marie Rothrock tallied five points.
 
The Lady Railsplitters will vie for their fourth consecutive win on Monday, December 15 as they welcome the Newberry Wolves to Tex Turner Arena for a South Atlantic Conference battle. Tip-off in that contest is scheduled for 6 p.m.