HARROGATE, Tenn. – A 15-0 run late in the first quarter broke open a close game and the 20^th-ranked Lady Railsplitters cruised to the 73-51 South Atlantic Conference win over Lenoir Rhyne Wednesday evening.

With the win LMU (7-0) equals the best start in the modern era with the 1991-92 team.

Shea Coker (Knoxville, Tenn.) led all scorers with 13 points. Megan Pittman (Liberty, Ky.) picked up her 20^th career double-double as she had 12 points and 11 rebounds. Reigning SAC Player of the Week Josey Harding (Middletown, Ohio) also had a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Karsen Sims (Gatlinburg, Tenn.) also chipped in 10 points.

Morgan Cooper and Alecia Bell led Lenoir-Rhyne with 10 points apiece.

For the sixth time this season, LMU outshot their opponent. This time they hit 40.7 percent of their shots to the Bears' 32.5 percent. The Lady Railsplitters shot 40 percent from three point range while L-R did not hit a three-pointer. Despite their poorest free throw shooting of the season, LMU still outperformed L-R by a 67.9%-to-59.5% margin.

Defense also was a strength for the Lady Railsplitters as they controlled the boards by a 42-32 margin and forced the Bears into 23 turnovers, which LMU converted into 25 points. LMU also had 16 offensive rebounds, which they converted into 16 second-chance points.

After a Pittman three-pointer put LMU ahead 3-0, the teams traded baskets until two free throws by Chelsey Romero put the Bears up 8-7 at the 6:03 mark. Lenoir-Rhyne then went ice cold from the field as a Sims three-pointer sparked a 15-0 LMU run over the next 4:54 to make the score 22-8. A pair of Cooper free throws would cut it to 22-10 after the first stanza.

The Bears would cut the lead to eight several times in the 2^nd quarter, but each time the Lady Railsplitters had an answer and following a Dasia Maxwell (Knoxville, Tenn.) layup as time expired they took the 35-22 lead into halftime.

LMU would extend the lead over the third and fourth quarters, leading by as much as 25 after Rachel Griffith (Oliver Springs, Tenn.) took the ball out of Justyce Swango's hands and rocketed down the court for a fast-break layup with 4:08 remaining. Free throws by Shayla Barrow (Orlando, Fla.) and Kyndall Caudle (Ooltewah, Tenn.) sealed the deal for the Lady Railsplitters as they picked up the 73-51 victory.

The Lady Railsplitters will play their second game of the three-game conference home stand as they host Coker Saturday afternoon. Tip-off against the Cobras is set for 2 p.m. in the Tex Turner Arena. Live stats, audio and video links for that game can be found at LMURailsplitters.com.